mordant

1 of 3

adjective

mor·dant ˈmȯr-dᵊnt How to pronounce mordant (audio)

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

a mordant wit

: acting as a mordant (as in dyeing)

: burning, pungent

mordant pain

mordantly adverb

mordant

2 of 3

noun

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

: 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."

Example Sentences

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

Part of DeLillo’s mordant jest of a book, and the fun of the wordplay, is that the adults are children, too — especially the niche academics.

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2022 There is a marvelously mordant quality to Ed Lin’s novels, which combine depictions of the darkest criminality with a sense of the absurd.

New York Times, 28 July 2022 Despite the mordant local industry, high profile international productions have continued to use Sri Lanka as a location.

Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 July 2022 Johns’s entire body of work, to go by this elephantine show of more than 500 works, is akin to a trove of Nabokovian love letters — obscure and thwarted, but also punning, mordant, full of life.

Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021 Her mordant wit and insight into the darkest chambers of the human heart shaped me, first as a reader and then as a writer.

Hillel Italie, ajc, 11 Aug. 2022 Kafka, if translated well, as Michael Hofmann does, is so funny, and suits my mordant humor.

New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 The film has a mordant sense of humor, a hypnotic gracefulness and a startling emotional sincerity.

Mark Olsenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2022 Even Komireddi, a mordant critic of Indian politics, ends his book with an appreciation of what the Congress Party had built before.

Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022

Noun

The actors are nimble with Letts’ mordant, deceptively situational humor, and in embodying their characters’ chilling complacency.

Naveen Kumar, Variety, 17 Apr. 2022 Loudon, 70-something patriarch, inhabits the canopy; from folkie to singing surgeon to some measure of each, adjoining the mordant to the serious.

Nathan Rizzo | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 1 Nov. 2021 But Stewart’s take on Diana gives this film a wicked sense of humor too, emphasizing how her mordant sarcasm clashed just as uncomfortably with the royal family as her independent streak did.

David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2021 But another three words, albeit unspoken, also pulse beneath this mordant and inventive satire by James Ijames: Examine your assumptions.

BostonGlobe.com, 1 May 2021 Petite, quietly savage, with a sense of humor that can skew either goofy or mordant, Milioti, 35, is not the girl next door.

New York Times, 26 Mar. 2021 The writing is brilliant, bringing to life a narrator with a penetrating gaze and a mordant, misanthropic voice.

Scott W. Stern, The New Republic, 11 Feb. 2021 Narrator George Blagden beautifully captures the tenor of Nana’s mordant wit, his lofty view of himself, and his frequent spates of umbrage at human presumption and sheer stupidity.

Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2020 See More

mordant

adjective

as in satiric

marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

satiric
sarcastic
acid
satirical
acidic
barbed
caustic
sardonic
acerbic
biting
corrosive
acrid
acidulous
pungent
scathing
scalding
tart
cutting
ironic
snarky
acerb
cynical
sharp
wry
smart-alecky
smart-aleck
trenchant
incisive
harsh
ironical
sour
poignant
smart-mouthed
blunt
spiky
dry
concise
flippant
pithy
facetious
vitriolic
cross
severe
brisk
sharp-tongued
sourish
curt
keen
gruff
brusque
acrimonious
terse
bitter
stringent
tongue-in-cheek
abrupt
succinct
spikey
tartish
snippy
resentful
backhanded
crisp
insincere
brusk
rough
snippety

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

amusing
playful
waggish
mild
droll
gentle
merry
sportive
bland
diplomatic
urbane
polite
suave
smooth
good-humored
hospitable
genial
good-natured
cordial
gracious
affable
sociable

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of mordant are acrid, caustic, and scathing. While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

The synonyms acrid and mordant are sometimes interchangeable, but acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

The meanings of caustic and mordant largely overlap; however, caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

While in some cases nearly identical to mordant, scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

单词	mordant
释义	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 See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences 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 Part of DeLillo’s mordant jest of a book, and the fun of the wordplay, is that the adults are children, too — especially the niche academics. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2022 There is a marvelously mordant quality to Ed Lin’s novels, which combine depictions of the darkest criminality with a sense of the absurd. New York Times, 28 July 2022 Despite the mordant local industry, high profile international productions have continued to use Sri Lanka as a location. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 July 2022 Johns’s entire body of work, to go by this elephantine show of more than 500 works, is akin to a trove of Nabokovian love letters — obscure and thwarted, but also punning, mordant, full of life. Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021 Her mordant wit and insight into the darkest chambers of the human heart shaped me, first as a reader and then as a writer. Hillel Italie, ajc, 11 Aug. 2022 Kafka, if translated well, as Michael Hofmann does, is so funny, and suits my mordant humor. New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 The film has a mordant sense of humor, a hypnotic gracefulness and a startling emotional sincerity. Mark Olsenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2022 Even Komireddi, a mordant critic of Indian politics, ends his book with an appreciation of what the Congress Party had built before. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 Noun The actors are nimble with Letts’ mordant, deceptively situational humor, and in embodying their characters’ chilling complacency. Naveen Kumar, Variety, 17 Apr. 2022 Loudon, 70-something patriarch, inhabits the canopy; from folkie to singing surgeon to some measure of each, adjoining the mordant to the serious. Nathan Rizzo \| For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 1 Nov. 2021 But Stewart’s take on Diana gives this film a wicked sense of humor too, emphasizing how her mordant sarcasm clashed just as uncomfortably with the royal family as her independent streak did. David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2021 But another three words, albeit unspoken, also pulse beneath this mordant and inventive satire by James Ijames: Examine your assumptions. BostonGlobe.com, 1 May 2021 Petite, quietly savage, with a sense of humor that can skew either goofy or mordant, Milioti, 35, is not the girl next door. New York Times, 26 Mar. 2021 The writing is brilliant, bringing to life a narrator with a penetrating gaze and a mordant, misanthropic voice. Scott W. Stern, The New Republic, 11 Feb. 2021 Narrator George Blagden beautifully captures the tenor of Nana’s mordant wit, his lofty view of himself, and his frequent spates of umbrage at human presumption and sheer stupidity. Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2020 See More 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 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 adjective as in satiric marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance satiric sarcastic acid satirical acidic barbed caustic sardonic acerbic biting corrosive acrid acidulous pungent scathing scalding tart cutting ironic snarky acerb cynical sharp wry smart-alecky smart-aleck trenchant incisive harsh ironical sour poignant smart-mouthed blunt spiky dry concise flippant pithy facetious vitriolic cross severe brisk sharp-tongued sourish curt keen gruff brusque acrimonious terse bitter stringent tongue-in-cheek abrupt succinct spikey tartish snippy resentful backhanded crisp insincere brusk rough snippety Antonyms & Near Antonyms amusing playful waggish mild droll gentle merry sportive bland diplomatic urbane polite suave smooth good-humored hospitable genial good-natured cordial gracious affable sociable See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of mordant are acrid, caustic, and scathing. While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness. mordant reviews of the play The synonyms acrid and mordant are sometimes interchangeable, but acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence. acrid invective The meanings of caustic and mordant largely overlap; however, caustic suggests a biting wit. caustic comments While in some cases nearly identical to mordant, scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity. a scathing satire
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mordant

adjective

noun

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

noun

adjective

Synonym Chooser