vitriol

noun
UK: /ˈvɪtriəl/
US: /ˈvɪtriəl/

  1. Cruel and bitter criticism.

    1. His vitriol hurt her feelings a lot, she couldn't stop crying.
    2. The newspaper editor received a stream of vitriol after publishing the controversial article; public discourse was affected.

  2. Extremely strong and unpleasant feelings.

    1. She spoke with vitriol about her awful boss, everyone heard her.
    2. The political debate was filled with vitriol, making it difficult to have a productive discussion, because they yelled at each other.

  3. A poisonous or corrosive substance.

    1. The scientist carefully handled the vitriol, wearing protective gloves.
    2. In the old days, vitriol was sometimes used in attacks, causing severe injuries; fortunately, medicine develops.

Synonyms

rancor acerbity venom acrimony mordancy virulence sarcasm
vitriol transitive-verb

  1. To express cruel and bitter criticism of someone or something.

    1. He vitriols his opponent, and the crowd doesn't like it, so he lost.
    2. The commentator vitrioled the government's new policy, highlighting its potential negative consequences, to show public his opinion.

  2. To treat something with vitriol or a similar corrosive substance.

    1. Someone vitrioled the statue, and now its surface has been damaged.
    2. The experiment involved vitrioling a metal sample to study its resistance to corrosion, using controlled environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "vitriol" in English means: Cruel and bitter criticism., Extremely strong and unpleasant feelings., A poisonous or corrosive substance..

The phonetic transcription of "vitriol" is /ˈvɪtriəl/ in British English and /ˈvɪtriəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "vitriol": rancor, acerbity, venom, acrimony, mordancy, virulence, sarcasm.

Example usage of "vitriol": "His vitriol hurt her feelings a lot, she couldn't stop crying.". More examples on the page.