mindmap
root((ACER/ACR))
acerbic
Sharp or biting in temper, mood, or tone.
🌱She had enjoyed his acerbic humor for years, but then a friend told her about the nasty jokes he was making about her behind her back. 🌳Acerbic often describes wit. An acerbic critic won't make many friends among the writers or artists whose work is being criticized, but often keeps his or her readers amused and entertained. Acerbity may be slightly less sharp than sarcasm, but not much; both words have roots meaning basically "cut." acrid Unpleasantly sharp and harsh; bitter.
🌱The acrid odor of gunpowder hung in the air long after the shots' echoes had died away. 🌳Acrid exactly fits the smoke from a fire—a burning building or forest, for example. Dense smog may cast an acrid pall over a city, making throats burn and eyes sting. But, like acid and acerbic, acrid sometimes also describes nonphysical things, such as the remarks of a bitter person. acrimony Harsh or bitter sharpness in words, manner, or temper.
🌱Town meetings here were usually civilized, and no one could recall an issue that had ever aroused such intense acrimony as the new pulp mill. 🌳Acrimony is angry harshness that usually springs from intense personal dislike. An acrimonious exchange is full of cutting, unpleasant remarks designed to hurt. Civil wars are often more acrimonious and bloody than foreign wars. In the same way, a bad divorce may be more acrimonious than any other kind of legal battle. exacerbate To make worse, more violent, or more severe.
🌱The increase in coal-burning power plants has greatly exacerbated the buildup of greenhouse gases. 🌳To exacerbate is not to cause, but only to make something bad even worse. So the loss of a major industry in a city may exacerbate its already serious unemployment problem. A vicious remark can exacerbate a quarrel. Building a new mall may exacerbate an area's existing traffic problems. A new drug can exacerbate the side effects of the drug a patient is already taking. It used to be thought that too much blood in the body exacerbated a fever, so the patient's blood would be drained, often by means of leeches—and not all patients survived.
🌱She had enjoyed his acerbic humor for years, but then a friend told her about the nasty jokes he was making about her behind her back. 🌳Acerbic often describes wit. An acerbic critic won't make many friends among the writers or artists whose work is being criticized, but often keeps his or her readers amused and entertained. Acerbity may be slightly less sharp than sarcasm, but not much; both words have roots meaning basically "cut." acrid Unpleasantly sharp and harsh; bitter.
🌱The acrid odor of gunpowder hung in the air long after the shots' echoes had died away. 🌳Acrid exactly fits the smoke from a fire—a burning building or forest, for example. Dense smog may cast an acrid pall over a city, making throats burn and eyes sting. But, like acid and acerbic, acrid sometimes also describes nonphysical things, such as the remarks of a bitter person. acrimony Harsh or bitter sharpness in words, manner, or temper.
🌱Town meetings here were usually civilized, and no one could recall an issue that had ever aroused such intense acrimony as the new pulp mill. 🌳Acrimony is angry harshness that usually springs from intense personal dislike. An acrimonious exchange is full of cutting, unpleasant remarks designed to hurt. Civil wars are often more acrimonious and bloody than foreign wars. In the same way, a bad divorce may be more acrimonious than any other kind of legal battle. exacerbate To make worse, more violent, or more severe.
🌱The increase in coal-burning power plants has greatly exacerbated the buildup of greenhouse gases. 🌳To exacerbate is not to cause, but only to make something bad even worse. So the loss of a major industry in a city may exacerbate its already serious unemployment problem. A vicious remark can exacerbate a quarrel. Building a new mall may exacerbate an area's existing traffic problems. A new drug can exacerbate the side effects of the drug a patient is already taking. It used to be thought that too much blood in the body exacerbated a fever, so the patient's blood would be drained, often by means of leeches—and not all patients survived.
ACER/ACR comes from the Latin adjective acer, meaning "sharp" or "sour." Grapefruit and limes have an acid taste; acid can also describe a person's sense of humor (other words for it might be sharp or biting). The acidity of the soil often indicates whether it's good for growing certain crops; blueberries, for instance, love acid soil, so they're more likely to be found east of the Mississippi River, where acid soil is the rule.🌸