Acerbical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a sharp, sour, or bitter quality, whether in taste or in the tone of someone's speech and temper
2. Describing something harsh, biting, or astringent, either in flavor or in the way a person speaks and behaves
3. Characterized by a severe, cutting sharpness, as with a sour taste or a caustic and unkind manner

Etymology: Acerbical comes from "acerbus," a Latin adjective meaning bitter, harsh, or unripe, which was used of sour fruit and of rough, biting speech. The Latin word is built on "acer," meaning sharp, and that same root gave English "acrid," used for stinging smells and smoke. The sense of sharpness, rather than taste alone, is what carries over into the English word. English formed "acerbical" by attaching the adjectival suffix "-ical" to "acerb," an English adjective taken from the same Latin source. It is the less common sibling of "acerbic," which uses the suffix "-ic," and both describe a sour or sarcastic manner.

Synonyms: acerbic, bitter, sour, tart, harsh

Antonyms: sweet, mild, gentle