Words / A / General

acerbic

adjective/əˈsɜːbɪk/

C1CEFR level
55/100Rarity: uncommon
FormalRegister

Sharp and cutting in tone, especially in humour or criticism.

The reviewer's acerbic tongue could dismantle a novel in a single sentence.

Similar: caustic, mordant, tart

Origin: From Latin acerbus, sour, bitter.

Topic: wit in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: wit