as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
braced himself for another vitriolic dressing-down by his perennially displeased father
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vitriolic
At times, that grief turned to vitriolic anger.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
In today’s world, this is not only rare but also contrary to a pervasive culture of self-promotion and vitriolic hate against everyone who doesn’t bow.
—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish.
—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
The rhetoric was vitriolic and often more about the man than the ideas or principles behind a particular political issue.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Online, the responses turned vitriolic.
—
Robin Romm,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
To attend an Old Firm fixture, as the rivalry is known, is to understand the frenetic, vitriolic, passionate and sometimes poisonous world of football in Glasgow.
—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
When the San Francisco Chronicle axed its stand-alone books section, in 2001, the paper’s editors were overwhelmed by an ensuing crush of vitriolic mail.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
In the live chat of viewers following along, the commentary ranged from appreciative to vitriolic.
—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
2 Feb. 2026
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
In today’s world, this is not only rare but also contrary to a pervasive culture of self-promotion and vitriolic hate against everyone who doesn’t bow.
—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish.
—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
The rhetoric was vitriolic and often more about the man than the ideas or principles behind a particular political issue.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Online, the responses turned vitriolic.
—
Robin Romm,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
To attend an Old Firm fixture, as the rivalry is known, is to understand the frenetic, vitriolic, passionate and sometimes poisonous world of football in Glasgow.
—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
When the San Francisco Chronicle axed its stand-alone books section, in 2001, the paper’s editors were overwhelmed by an ensuing crush of vitriolic mail.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
In the live chat of viewers following along, the commentary ranged from appreciative to vitriolic.
—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
2 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
Adjective
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Aggression is the norm A common misconception is that aggression needs to be physical before it’s considered abusive, but that’s not always the case.
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The union did not give specific examples of abusive incidents.
Adjective
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Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
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What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.
Adjective
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These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American.
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Dressed in rehearsal clothes, the comedian pulls a series of exaggerated expressions, hinting at the outrageous comedy audiences can expect when the curtain rises.
Adjective
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In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.
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The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.
Adjective
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Counterculture Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.
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Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.
Cite this Entry
“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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