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caustic

Adjective

IPA /ˈkɔːstɪk/

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Meaning in plain English

Expressing sharp, bitter criticism or sarcasm in a way that can hurt the person being spoken about.

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Pronunciation

caustic/ˈkɔːstɪk/

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Someone comments on a piece of work
Their words are bitter and cutting
The criticism hurts the listener

A caustic remark uses sharp, bitter criticism or sarcasm.

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Examples in context

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Her caustic remark about my cooking spoiled the friendly mood.
The reviewer's caustic comments made the young researcher lose confidence.

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Her ________ remark about my cooking spoiled the friendly mood.

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caustic — Expressing sharp, bitter criticism or sarcasm in a way that can hurt the person being spoken about.

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Expressing sharp, bitter criticism or sarcasm in a way that can hurt the person being spoken about.

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Word origin

From Greek kaustikos, related to a verb meaning burn, through Latin.

Did you know?

Caustic also describes chemicals that can burn or damage substances; the critical sense is figurative.

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