as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
braced himself for another vitriolic dressing-down by his perennially displeased father
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
Adjective
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The group of former Northwestern football players have reportedly agreed to settle their lawsuits against the school, which alleged hazing and abusive behavior.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2025 -
In a 1993 interview with the Los Angeles Daily News, North said his aunt Marie Hopper — who served as his guardian when his mother was working — was physically and emotionally abusive.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Sean Griffin, local executive council president for the union, said the pay is insulting.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2025
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To suggest civil servants don’t work hard and could do more for less is insulting to the hundreds of thousands of hard-working federal workers earning their paychecks today.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As a woman, I am appalled by Michael Tanzi's outrageous actions.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Several major automakers like Audi and Volkswagen have paused shipments to the United States to avoid paying outrageous import tariffs.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.—
Leslie Vinjamuri,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Nov. 2024
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Unlike Rhoades, a vituperative colossus, however, Williams brings a steely determination and a Joe Friday, just-the-facts mien to his lawyering in the court of public opinion.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Congolese leaders have a tendency for invective and to blame all their ills on Rwanda.—
Jason K. Stearns,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
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In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.—
Kelly Presutti,
ARTnews.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, in 1976 as part of a group show of artists’ books, Santoro’s volume was immediately censored as obscene and offensive.—
Paola Ugolini,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
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Cybertruck owners have shared displays of hostility from other motorists on a Facebook page, including vulgar notes left on their vehicles and obscene gestures directed at them from passing cars.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA TODAY,
11 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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