caustic

adjective

ˈkȯ-stik How to pronounce caustic (audio)
Definition of causticnext
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings caustic movie reviews that serve mainly to show how clever the reviewer is

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective caustic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of caustic are acrid, mordant, and scathing. While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

When is acrid a more appropriate choice than caustic?

While the synonyms acrid and caustic are close in meaning, acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

In what contexts can mordant take the place of caustic?

In some situations, the words mordant and caustic are roughly equivalent. However, mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

When might scathing be a better fit than caustic?

Although the words scathing and caustic have much in common, scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of caustic Online, Firstman’s personality can come off playful or caustic, depending on how generous the viewer is feeling. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026 Villegas prevailed in a caustic primary over state lawmaker Jasmeet Bains, a moderate who was backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 Thus far, Eisenkot, a classic centrist, has been blunt and sometimes caustic in making the case against the prime minister. — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026 His relationship with the media also became caustic, with Mourinho boycotting press conferences and sending assistant Aitor Karanka instead. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for caustic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caustic
  1. sarcastic
  2. satiric
  3. acidic
  4. acid
  5. barbed
  6. corrosive
Adjective
  • Eidra pushes her tendency to get glib and sarcastic rather than risk being vulnerable and honest to its farthest limits.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • In his essay, Baron Cohen says that’s the point, because the character is a satirical figure designed to expose prejudice.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Riehle played Tom Smykowski, a cynical Initech product manager, in Mike Judge’s 1999 satirical comedy Office Space, sharing credits with Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root and Gary Cole.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • Equatic pumps seawater through an electrolyzer, where an electric current passes through a sandwich of plastic and metal plates and separates the water into two streams, one alkaline and one acidic, while also producing oxygen and hydrogen.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Under alkaline conditions, splitting water molecules takes over 100 times longer than in acidic environments.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • Whatever your pleasure, there’s no wrong way to take an acid trip.
    — Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The idea that these two would have a five-minute-or-less breakup conversation, then plop down on the couch and happily embark on an acid trip together, strains credulity a little, even for this bizarre, codependent friend group.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • Palestinian activist Eid Hatlin said barbed wire in the yard was placed by settlers.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, North Korea has been adding mines, barbed wire fences, tactical roads, anti-tank walls and other fortifications to what's already one of the world's most heavily armed borders.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of barbed
Adjective
  • But even for those of us who still have jobs, something corrosive is happening.
    — Brian Jenney, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The main bottleneck has always been finding an electrode material that can survive these hot, corrosive conditions while driving the chemical split quickly.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrosive

Browse Nearby Words

causing
caustic
caustically
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Cite this Entry

“Caustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caustic. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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