mordant

1 of 3

adjective

mor·​dant ˈmȯr-dᵊnt 

1

: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : incisive

a mordant wit

2

: acting as a mordant (as in dyeing)

3

: burning, pungent

mordant pain

mordantly adverb

mordant

2 of 3

noun

1

: a chemical that fixes a dye in or on a substance by combining with the dye to form an insoluble compound

2

: a corroding substance used in etching

mordant

3 of 3

verb

mordanted; mordanting; mordants

transitive verb

: to treat with a mordant

Did you know?

The etymology of mordant certainly has some bite to it. That word, which came to modern English through Middle French, ultimately derives from the Latin verb mordēre, which means "to bite." In modern parlance, mordant usually suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness. Mordēre puts the bite into other English terms, too. For instance, that root gave us the tasty morsel ("a tiny bite"). But nibble too many of those and you'll likely be hit by another mordēre derivative: remorse ("guilt for past wrongs"), which comes from Latin remordēre, meaning "to bite again."

Synonyms

Adjective

• acerb
• acerbic
• acid
• acidic
• acidulous
• acrid
• barbed
• biting
• caustic
• corrosive
• cutting
• pungent
• sarcastic
• sardonic
• satiric
• satirical
• scalding
• scathing
• sharp
• smart-aleck
• smart-alecky
• smart-mouthed
• snarky
• tart

Choose the Right Synonym for mordant

caustic, mordant, acrid, scathing mean stingingly incisive.

caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

Examples of mordant in a Sentence

Adjective

a writer famous for her mordant humor

a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Separated by interstitial shots of Cluj’s ahistorical new architecture, these long and static confessional scenes are spiked with Jude’s recognizably mordant wit, their dialogue timely enough to distract from the feeling of shooting fish in a barrel. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025

The excesses of 1980s academia are ripe fodder for de Kretser’s mordant wit, but her aim here is more ambitious — and the results more rewarding. —Emily Eakin, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

Noun

Learn about natural dying, fabric prep and mordants (the chemicals that help dyes adhere to fabrics), and dye a Habotai silk scarf or mulberry silk pillowcase with all natural dye materials. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024

Soak your fabric in the alum solution for 1 hour, stirring often to ensure even uptake of the mordant. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle French, present participle of mordre to bite, from Latin mordēre; perhaps akin to Sanskrit mṛdnāti he presses, rubs

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mordant

• accordant
• concordant
• discordant

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Kids Definition

mordant

adjective

mor·​dant

ˈmȯrd-ᵊnt

: sarcastic, biting

mordant criticism

Medical Definition

mordant

noun

mor·​dant ˈmȯrd-ᵊnt 

: a chemical that fixes a dye in or on a substance by combining with the dye to form an insoluble compound

mordant transitive verb