vitriolic

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: vit=ri=ol=ic

CIDE DICTIONARY

vitriolic, a. [Cf. F. vitriolique.].

•  Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste. Cf. Vitriol.  [1913 Webster]
•  Biting, bitter or caustic; having or expressing strong and unpleasantly negative feelings; -- of speech or feelings; the vitriolic denunciations of opponents by partisan columnists.  [PJC]

Vitriolic acid (Old Chem.), (a) sulphuric acid. See Vitriol (b). [Colloq.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vitriolic, adj. (of speech or criticism) caustic or hostile.

THESAURUS

vitriolic

acerbic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic, antipathetic, asperous, astringent, belligerent, biting, bitter, caustic, clashing, colliding, conflicting, cutting, despiteful, double-edged, edged, envenomed, escharotic, fierce, full of hate, harsh, hateful, hostile, incisive, irritating, keen, malevolent, malicious, malignant, mordacious, mordant, nose-tickling, penetrating, piercing, piquant, poignant, pungent, quarrelsome, rancorous, repugnant, rigorous, rough, scathing, set against, severe, sharp, sore, sour, spiteful, stabbing, stinging, strident, stringent, tart, trenchant, vehement, venenate, venomous, violent, virulent