Acrimony — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈa-krə-ˌmō-nē/ ac·ri·mo·ny

Meaning & Definition of Acrimony

Acrimony (noun)

  1. anger and bitterness, harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or feelings

Acrimony (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. biting sharpness of feeling or expression

    "she responded with such acrimony that he never brought the subject up again"

    similar: acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriol
    related: gruffness, harshness, hostility, relentlessness, severity, sternness, vehemence, coldness, crossness, discourteousness, iciness, impoliteness, incivility, nastiness, rudeness, sourness, surliness, ungraciousness, anger, animosity, gall, jaundice, malevolence, malice, rancor, scorn, spite, spleen, venom, vindictiveness, jealousy, pique, resentment, sour grapes
    near: civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness, compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth, oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity

  2. a harsh or sharp quality

    "the acrimony of his parting words shocked everyone in the office"

    similar: acerbity, acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, acrimoniousness, acuteness, asperity, bite, bitterness, edge, harshness, keenness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness, tartness
    related: ginger, punch, spice, tang, raucousness, severeness, severity, shrillness, virulence, vitriol, cattiness, maliciousness, pointedness, thorniness
    opposite: mildness, softness
    near: gentleness, kindliness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Acrimony

The most common words with a similar meaning to Acrimony:

acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriol, acerbity, acrimoniousness, acuteness, bite, edge, harshness, keenness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Acrimony

Words with the opposite meaning of Acrimony:

mildness, softness

Related Words for Acrimony

gruffness, hostility, relentlessness, severity, sternness, vehemence, coldness, crossness, discourteousness, iciness, impoliteness, incivility, nastiness, rudeness, sourness, surliness, ungraciousness, anger, animosity, gall, jaundice, malevolence, malice, rancor, scorn, spite, spleen, venom, vindictiveness, jealousy

Near Antonyms of Acrimony

civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness, compassion, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth, oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity, gentleness, kindliness

Word Forms of Acrimony

Inflections: acrimonies

Origin & Etymology of Acrimony

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French acrimonie, borrowed from Latin ācrimōnia, from ācr-, ācer "sharp, biting, keen" + -mōnia, suffix of abstract nouns (going back to the Indo-European noun-forming suffix *-mĕ̄n-/*-mŏ̄n- + the abstract noun formative *-i-) acr-

First known use: 1542

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Acrimony

Frequently Asked Questions about Acrimony

What does "Acrimony" mean?

"Acrimony" means anger and bitterness, harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or feelings. As a noun, it is defined as: anger and bitterness, harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or feelings. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Acrimony"?

Other words for "Acrimony" include acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness and cattiness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Acrimony" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Acrimony"?

There are 69 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Acrimony". Common alternatives include acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness and mordancy.

What is the opposite of "Acrimony"?

Antonyms of "Acrimony" include mildness and softness. Near antonyms include civility, cordiality, courtesy and diplomacy.

How do you use "Acrimony" in a sentence?

Examples of "Acrimony" in a sentence: "she responded with such acrimony that he never brought the subject up again"; "the acrimony of his parting words shocked everyone in the office".

Is "Acrimony" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Acrimony" is a noun.

Is "Acrimony" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Acrimony" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Acrimony"?

"Acrimony" is pronounced /ˈa-krə-ˌmō-nē/ and divided into syllables as ac·ri·mo·ny.