Vitriolic
/ˌvɪt.riˈɒl.ɪk/noun
Containing or expressing bitter, cutting, and hostile criticism.
Did you know?Medieval alchemists called certain metallic sulfates “vitriol,” and sulfuric acid was famously known as “oil of vitriol,” giving modern bitterness a chemically corrosive shadow.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Antiquity
Latin
vitrum
“Glass; also a blue plant dye identified with woad in some contexts”
Late Latin
Latin
vitriolus
“Glassy or glass-like; a diminutive form related to vitrum”
Medieval Latin
Latin
vitriolum
“A glassy mineral substance, especially a metallic sulfate”
13th Century
Old French
vitriol
“Vitriol; a mineral substance used in medicine and alchemy”
16th Century
English
vitriol
“A bitter, corrosive substance; later also intense bitterness in speech”
19th Century
English
vitriolic
“Bitingly harsh, caustic, or bitter in language”