acerb

Adjective

• harsh or corrosive in tone
  • an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose
    
  • a barrage of acid comments
    
  • her acrid remarks make her many enemies
    
  • bitter words
    
  • blistering criticism
    
  • caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics
    
  • a sulfurous denunciation
    
  • a vitriolic critique
    

• sour or bitter in taste

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  acerbic , astringent