ACERB

acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic

(adjective) harsh or corrosive in tone; “an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose”; “a barrage of acid comments”; “her acrid remarks make her many enemies”; “bitter words”; “blistering criticism”; “caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics”; “a sulfurous denunciation”; “a vitriolic critique”

acerb, acerbic, astringent

(adjective) sour or bitter in taste

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

acerb (comparative acerber or more acerb, superlative acerbest or most acerb)

(archaic) Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit.

Synonym: acerbic

(archaic, figurative) Sharp and harsh in expressing oneself.

Synonym: acerbic

Anagrams

• Brace, brace, caber, cabre, cabré

Source: Wiktionary

A*cerb", a. Etym: [L. acerbus, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. acerbe. See Acrid.]

Definition: Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition