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.🌸