acrimonious

adjective

ac·​ri·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce acrimonious (audio)
: angry and bitter : caustic, biting, or rancorous especially in feeling, language, or manner
an acrimonious dispute
acrimoniously adverb
acrimoniousness noun

Examples of acrimonious in a Sentence

Each man came out of their acrimonious 200-meter showdown on July 23 with an injured hamstring and a decidedly negative vibe. Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 11 Sept. 2000
My May 19, 1967, memorandum to the president unleashed a storm of controversy.  … It led to tense and acrimonious Senate hearings that pitted me against the Joint Chiefs of Staff and generated rumors they intended to resign en masse. Robert McNamara, In Retrospect, 1995
But considering the momentousness of the issue, the original Darwinian debate was far less acrimonious than might have been expected … Gertrude Himmelfarb, American Scholar, Autumn 1981
We could tell, however, when debate became more acrimonious than professional, but this was from watching lawyers other than our father. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
He went through an acrimonious divorce. an acrimonious parting between the two former friends
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Together, the two generals were able to reconcile what were often deep and sometimes acrimonious divisions among their colleagues and between their political masters. Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 21 July 2025 At this point, the main takeaway is that a league that has a long history of acrimonious labor relations with its players is in a more cooperative place — something Bettman has been trumpeting ever since Walsh took the reins at the players’ association just over two years ago. Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 But the men fell out dramatically days later, trading insults in an acrimonious public feud that included Musk taking credit for Trump’s election victory. Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025 Leon Neal | Afp | Getty Images The U.K. and European Union announced a landmark deal to reset relations Monday after Britain’s acrimonious exit from the bloc in 2020. Holly Ellyatt,silvia Amaro, CNBC, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for acrimonious

Word History

Etymology

acrimony + -ous

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acrimonious was in 1651

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Cite this Entry

“Acrimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrimonious. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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