What does "acrimonious" mean?
Harsh and sharp, or bitter and not pleasant to the taste; acrid, pungent.
Acrimonious
/ˌæk.ɹɪˈməʊ.nɪ.əs/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Harsh and sharp, or bitter and not pleasant to the taste; acrid, pungent.
- Grammar: acrimonious is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: bitter, acerb, acerb, acerbate.
- Useful contrasts: nonacrimonious, amiable, amicable.
- Usage evidence: Tom and Mary had an acrimonious divorce and custody battle for their children.
How to use "acrimonious"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "acrimonious" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "acrimonious" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "acrimonious" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "acrimonious" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "acrimonious" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bitter" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "acrimonious", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Harsh and sharp, or bitter and not pleasant to the taste; acrid, pungent. archaic
"The old man […] began to suffer in the body as well as the mind. He had formed the determination of setting out in person for Dumfriesshire, when, after having been dogged, peevish, and snappish to his clerks and domestics, to an unusual and almost intolerable degree, the acrimonious humours settled in a hissing-hot fit of the gout, which is a well-known tamer of the most froward spirits, […]"
- 2 Angry, acid, and sharp in delivering argumentative replies: bitter, mean-spirited, sharp in language or tone. figuratively
"Theſe points are diſcuſſed with the ability and learning which diſtinguiſh the Right Reverend Author's [Samuel Horsley's] publications, but not without acrimonious expreſſions of contempt and indignation againſt his opponent [Joseph Priestley]."
Adjective
- 1 marked by strong resentment or cynicism wordnet
Example
"Tom and Mary had an acrimonious divorce and custody battle for their children."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "acrimonious"?
Common synonyms include: bitter, acerb, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acerbic.
How do you use "acrimonious" in a sentence?
Tom and Mary had an acrimonious divorce and custody battle for their children.
How do you pronounce "acrimonious"?
Pronounced /ˌæk.ɹɪˈməʊ.nɪ.əs/.
Etymology
From acrimony + -ous; compare French acrimonieux (“acrimonious”), from Latin ācrimōniōsus (“acrimonious”), from ācrimōnia (“pungency, sharpness; acrimony, austerity”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning “full of; prone to”, forming adjectives from nouns) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-went- or *-wont- + *-to-). Ācrimōnia is derived from Latin ācer (“sharp; bitter, sour”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós (“sharp”), from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) + *-rós (suffix forming adjectives from Caland system roots)) + Latin -mōnia (the feminine form of -mōnium (suffix forming collective nouns and nouns designating legal status or obligation), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-mō (suffix forming agent nouns from verbs)).