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acridness

acridness

8.4
A sharp, bitter way of speaking that hurts people
  • noun
  • /ˈækrɪdnəs/
translation icon : agresividad
  • The acridness of his remarks left everyone feeling uncomfortable.

Examples

  • Her response carried a surprising acridness that silenced the room.

  • Despite the acridness in their exchange, they managed to resolve the issue.

  • The acridness of his words left everyone in shock.

  • Her acridness was evident during the conference.

  • The acridness of her tone made it clear that she was displeased with the decision.

  • He couldn't ignore the acridness in the debate, which intensified the tension in the room.

  • The meeting was overshadowed by the acridness of their criticism towards each other's ideas.

Synonyms

vitriol
vsacridness
  • Offensive
27 9.5

Bitter, angry language that attacks people

is the general disagreeable tone, not necessarily outright abuse
acrimony
vsacridness
10 8.8

A bitter, angry feeling shown in words or actions

focuses on general disagreeable language rather than personal hostility
invective
vsacridness
  • Offensive
10 8.8

Angry words that strongly insult someone

is the disagreeable tone category that can be less direct
snarkiness
vsacridness
  • Informal
2 7.5

A sarcastic, sharply mocking way of speaking that can hurt people

covers harsh disagreeableness more generally, not only mocking tone
offensiveness
vsacridness
2 6.7

A quality that makes people feel hurt or angry

is the specific harsh tone in language rather than general offence
harshness
vsacridness
2 3.5

A strong unpleasant effect that hurts the senses

applies to disagreeable language rather than general sensory severity
vituperation
vsacridness
  • Offensive
1 9.9

People say very angry insulting words to attack someone

is the broader disagreeable quality rather than focused denunciation
sharpness
vsacridness
1 4.6

A harsh, sudden way of speaking that sounds unfriendly

captures general harsh disagreeableness not limited to abruptness
gruffness
vsacridness
1 6.6

A rough, unfriendly way of speaking or acting

is the general disagreeable language quality, not only abruptness
acerbity
vsacridness
1 9.8

A sharp, bitter way of speaking that hurts people

is broader, covering any harshly disagreeable tone
abrasiveness
vsacridness
1 7.0

A harsh, rude manner or tone that offends people

is focused on disagreeable language rather than general rudeness
roughness
vsacridness
1 3.9

A harsh quality in a voice or behavior that feels severe

is targeted at disagreeable language rather than overall severity
acridity
vsacridness
9.4

A harsh tone in speech or writing that hurts people

is the general quality of harshly disagreeable language
pungency
vsacridness
8.0

Speech or writing that is sharp and often hurts people

is the general disagreeable quality without emphasising clever bite
pungence
vsacridness
  • Archaic
9.5

A sharp, biting way of speaking or writing that strongly affects people

denotes general harsh disagreeableness rather than focused forcefulness
mordancy
vsacridness
  • Formal
9.8

A sharp, cutting way of speaking and writing that criticizes people and ideas

is wider, covering any harsh disagreeable tone not only criticism
causticity
vsacridness
9.7

Speech or writing that is sharply critical and makes people feel bad

covers disagreeable tone more generally, not only sarcastic bite
tartness
vsacridness
5.6

A sharp, cutting way of speaking that sounds rude

is the broader disagreeable language quality beyond mere bitterness

Antonyms

19 1.3

A kind, calm way of treating people or animals

How Harsh

bitterness
75 3.4
acridness
8.4
harshness
6 4.1
sharpness
1 4.6
mildness
1 3.3

Surface Forms

acridness singular
acridnesses plural

Morphology

acridness = acrid (transparent) = acrid + ness

The noun is formed by adding '-ness' to 'acrid'; the figurative meaning ('harshly disagreeable in language or tone') is a direct extension of 'acrid' meaning unpleasant or biting.

Etymology

Acridness comes from the Latin root acer meaning 'sharp' or 'bitter', as you can see in acerbic. So acridness also means a sharply unpleasant tone or language that 'stings' people.