| Front | Mordant (adjective) |
|---|---|
| Back | Bitingly sarcastic. Someone who is mordant has the ability to drive home disagreeable truths in a sardonic, caustic manner. Mordant comments imply insensitiveness or even outright maliciousness in intent. Thus, mordant is a bit nastier than trenchant. Caustic is a close synonym for mordant. Use acrid when you want to stress bitterness or even malevolence. Scathing criticism, although fierce, can come from a good motive. In contrast, mordant criticism often implies ill intent. From Latin mordeo, meaning “to bite, bite into; nip; sting.” Mordant is also related to the English word morsel, meaning “a small bite of something.” |
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