Word of the Day

Tuesday November 17, 2009

• Today's Word |
• Yesterday's Word |
• Previous Words |
• Subscribe Now

acrimony [AK-ruh-moh-nee]

noun

1. A harsh or biting sharpness, as of language, temper, or manners.

• A water deal would also erase some of the bitterness over this year's budget battles and lay the groundwork for more bipartisan work next year. But if the water deal falls apart, it could foreshadow even more acrimony in 2010. What else might Schwarzenegger do if he has the opportunity?
  Daniel Weintraub, "Can Arnold be bold again? How the governor uses his last months in office could determine his place in California history", The Sacramento Bee, Oct 25, 2009
• "The question now is whether the children want to come together and act in the best interest of the corporation. At this time, I'm not sure three siblings can make that decision. There has been so much acrimony. ... There is no trust on either side."
  Steve Visser, "Feuding King children due in court: Company in charge of father's legacy at center of siblings' dispute", The Atlanta Journal - Constitution, Oct 11, 2009
• Having finished, and washed his dishes with much more thoroughness than is common to unsuperintended man, and having given Rufus the second call to breakfast with the vigor and acrimony that usually marks that unpleasant performance, he strode to a high point on the river-bank and, shading his eyes with his hand, gazed steadily down stream.
  Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856 - 1923) An American educator and author children's stories. Rose O' the River 1905

Origin of the Word

Acrimony, approximately 1540, derives from Latin acrimonia "sharpness, pungency of taste," from acer "sharp."