Vitriolising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Treating a material with sulfuric acid or a vitriolic compound ; subjecting someone to bitter, scathing verbal abuse
2. Dousing or chemically processing something with corrosive acid ; hurling caustic, venomous insults at a person or group
3. Applying harsh chemical vitriol to a substance ; launching spiteful, acidic criticism against someone

Etymology: "Vitriolising" is the form of "vitriolise," a verb built from "vitriol" with the verbal ending "-ise." Vitriol itself has a striking history: it comes from Latin "vitriolum," from "vitrum," meaning glass, a reference to the glassy appearance of the crystalline salts it was made from. Early vitriol was therefore a substance named for how it looked, not for any harshness. The "-ise" ending, in the British spelling, turns the noun into a verb meaning to treat with, or subject to, vitriol. The sense of "vitriol" as bitter, caustic speech developed later from the chemical's corrosive nature, so "vitriolising" describes attacking someone with scathing words in a way that echoes the acid's burning effect.

Synonyms: vilify, denigrate, malign, revile, abuse

Antonyms: praise, extol