mordant
1
8.7
- adjective
- /ˈmɔrdənt/
- Formal
:
mordaz
- That it did indeed turn out to be our final frontier, the one from which we fell back at last in disarray and frustration, simply adds a mordant note to the tale.
Examples
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The author's mordant observations on society often left readers pondering uncomfortable truths.
-
Michelle Rocca, asked to sum up Van in a line, wrote that he was "honest, mordant, and funny."
Academic text (2001) -
Probably they are too obvious to list, but one that strikes me is the combination of metaphysical terror with genuine, if mordant, humor.
Blog text (2) -
The tone is mordant and dreamy; the structure is filled with deviations and detours.
Blog text (1) -
The mordant irony of articles in Caretas went far beyond what the military regime was willing to withstand.
Academic text (1993) -
Hope first made a name for himself in the 1940s as the author of mordant and often acerbic reviews attacking modernist and nationalist tendencies in Australian writing.
Academic text (1992) -
The mordant satire of machismo reflects these writers' discomfort with a notion of heroism that includes the denigration of women as part of the manly ideal.
Academic text (1992) -
His mordant comments about the election made everyone in the room uncomfortable.
-
She delivered a mordant critique of the film, highlighting its numerous flaws with sharp irony.
Synonyms
99
4.0
Using words that say the opposite of what you mean to mock or hurt someone
19
7.7
Very strong, harsh criticism that hurts or shocks people
9
7.4
Being very sharp and unkind in speech or writing
8
8.2
Speech or writing that is harsh and likely to offend people
7
7.1
Expressing harsh, biting criticism that hurts people or their confidence
2
6.5
Sharp, biting words that can hurt or shock people
1
6.7
A sharp, biting remark that hurts or criticizes
1
9.9
Having a sharp, unfriendly tone that criticizes others
Very critical and hurtful in speech or writing
Saying harsh, mean things that hurt people
Having a rude, mocking look or voice that shows dislike
Antonyms
How Biting
Surface Forms
Morphology
mordant = mord + ant
The 'biting' sense is historically linked to mord + -ant, but because 'mord' is not a recognizable English base, the ironic/biting meaning is not transparently inferable by typical learners.
Etymology
Mordant comes from the Latin mordere 'to bite', and a helpful way to remember it is to think of a comment that 'bites'—sharp, cutting, and often ironic—so mordant describes harsh, biting criticism.