1
as in bitterness
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
a film critic noted for the vitriol and sometimes outright cruelty of his pronouncements
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abuse
harsh insulting language
the review was more than just unfavorable—it was loaded with vitriol
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vitriol
And the storm of vitriol that followed the Stauffers’ joint decision was directed almost entirely at Myka, just as Ruby Franke, before the extent of her abuse came to light, bore the brunt of public critique for her parenting style.
—
Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
The divisiveness and vitriol at the state and especially national level is undoubtedly feeding into this local election, as society in general has become more tribal and insular, thanks in large part to the weaponization of social media.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Prosecutors say Mangione fatally shot Thompson, 50, outside a New York City hotel in December, sparking a days-long manhunt as well as an outpouring of vitriol against the health insurance industry and public support for Mangione.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Yet, there was way more vitriol on display in Wrexham’s 1-0 victory than, say, when Wigan Athletic (52 miles) or even Bolton Wanderers (59 miles) visited earlier in the season.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vitriol
Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
The divisiveness and vitriol at the state and especially national level is undoubtedly feeding into this local election, as society in general has become more tribal and insular, thanks in large part to the weaponization of social media.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Prosecutors say Mangione fatally shot Thompson, 50, outside a New York City hotel in December, sparking a days-long manhunt as well as an outpouring of vitriol against the health insurance industry and public support for Mangione.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Yet, there was way more vitriol on display in Wrexham’s 1-0 victory than, say, when Wigan Athletic (52 miles) or even Bolton Wanderers (59 miles) visited earlier in the season.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vitriol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriol
Noun
-
Harriette Cole: Advice to mother who’s done having babies draws forceful response Elder abuse has many forms.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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The recent amendments to Maryland’s Child Victims Act, unveiled in a month dedicated to child abuse prevention awareness — April — are deeply troubling.—
Diana Philip,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Stolarz’s inclination to shout instructions at teammates on the ice, often with serious levels of hostility in the name of competition, comes to him naturally.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Datta writes that Indians had faced violent treatment at the hands of Japanese forces, even if the Chinese community bore the brunt of the Japanese hostility.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Oilers fans booed the American national anthem, and one woman used a lull to shout an invective about Mr. Trump.—
John Branch,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2025
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That decision, highly unusual in Japan, earned her some support from politicians, but a tide of abuse and invective on social media from people dismissing her claims.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Her symptoms include vomiting up clots of hair, bile and sewing pins; making scary pronouncements in a guttural voice that is not her own; and being unusually attractive to wasps, whose carcasses litter her bedclothes.—
Sarah Lyall,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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The agency also noted that Zinna had no evidence of infectious disease, trauma, or poisoning, and the rescue canine's stomach was empty except for small amounts of hair and bile, per AP.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But some Republican registrars took them as an insult, and at least one, Lisa Amatruda of Woodbury, walked out.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2025
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The imitation Punisher logo on Cole’s bullet was no act of flattery, but the most vile of insults.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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First, because our common narrative framework depends on the past, many people still consider warming through a speculative lens, failing to recognize the severity, and urgency, of superstorms and sea-level rise.—
Heather Hansman,
The Atlantic,
22 Apr. 2025
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Common cold symptoms: Vitamin C can help reduce the duration of the common cold and reduce the severity of its symptoms.—
Sara Hoffman, PharmD,
Verywell Health,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Oct. 2024
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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So, Joe comes in with a lot of hostility, a lot of anger, a lot of rage for what happened.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2025
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Damn, again, my woulda, shoulda anger steams beneath a somewhat placid exterior.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vitriol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriol. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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