acerbic

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 23, 2007 is: acerbic • \uh-SER-bik\ • adjective : acid in temper, mood, or tone Examples: Liam's speech was punctuated by his usual acerbic wit, and some people in the audience thought that his comments went too far. Did you know? English speakers created "acerbic" in the 19th century by adding "-ic" to the adjective "acerb." "Acerb" had been around since the 17th century, but for most of that time it had been used with only a literal "sour-tasting" sense. (The word "acerb" is still around today, but it is now simply a less common synonym of "acerbic.") "Acerbic" and "acerb" ultimately come from the Latin adjective "acerbus," which can mean "harsh," "bitter," or "unpleasant." Another English word that comes from "acerbus" is "exacerbate," which means "to make more violent, bitter, or severe." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.