caustic: suggests a biting wit: ~ comments about her singing ability.   （wit才思，指说话作文既聪明又有趣的能力ability to say or write things both clever and amusing，如a book full of the wit and wisdom of his 30 years in politics一本有关他30年从政治生涯中的才思与智慧的书，如the wit of Wilde and Shaw王尔德和肖伯纳的才思）


mordant: suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness: ~ reviews put the play out of its misery.   词根MORD表示咬→咬人的→尖刻


acrid: implies bitterness and often malevolence: a speech marked by ~ invective. 词根ACR表示锐利sharp或酸sour，如acid酸，acrimony尖刻言辞激烈争吵, exacerbate恶化


scathing: implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce or withering severity: a ~ satire of corporate life.  （wither枯萎失去水分loss of moisture，如withered leaves枯萎的树叶， withering使枯萎，形容批评的猛烈火爆）


caustic尖刻: 表示才思伤人，mordant尖刻: 表示更加伤人的才思(deadly致命的)，acrid尖酸: 指让人感到苦涩和恶意，scathing猛烈批评: 形容对人的批评猛烈火爆，好像能使其枯萎


记忆方法: 1）首字母CMAS重新排列成SCAM欺诈<==语言不尖刻


         2）尖刻的意思是尖锐使人痛苦mean stingingly incisive.        （incisive一针见血的直接明确的direct and decisive，如an incisive command that left no room for doubt不容怀疑的明确命令)     sting叮，和bite咬一样比喻给人痛苦