vitriolic

adj

1. (dated)Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from or resembling vitriol.

   “a vitriolic taste”

   “No one, who uſes his Senses, can possibly doubt, but there is ſomewhat of a vitriolic Nature found in Mineral Waters: for not only the Taſte, but the Sight confirms it, by their turning inky with Galls, &c.”

   “Nature, far from being confined to the lapis pyrites, has abundant materials, and a great variety of them, in the bowels of the earth, wherewith to impregnate the waters called chalybeate and vitriolic; and thoſe of various degrees of acidity and ſtypticity, even from the mildeſt, where the acid is ſcarcely ſenſible, to the moſt ſharp and cauſtic of the vitriolic ores above enumerated.”

   “[T]he name vitriol ought to be applied to all vitriolic ſalts with metallic baſes. Thus, for inſtance, the ſalt compoſed of vitriolic acid and gold may be called vitriol of gold; and the ſalt formed by the union of this acid with ſilver may be called vitriol of ſilver, or lunar vitriol. Perhaps all vitriolic ſalts might be conveniently comprehended under the general name vitriol.”

2. (figuratively)Bitterly scathing, caustic.

   “vitriolic criticism”

   “You vitriolic, patriotic, slam fight, bright light / Feeling pretty psyched”

   “Another consideration is the known transparency of the Matthaean text. Because of the very structure and tone of the attack on the scribes and Pharisees, one cannot discount the possibility that Matthew is also engaged in serious controversies with the religious leadership of his own day. Therefore, consideration should also be given to the rhetoric of ancient Jewish polemic. This would account for the highly vitriolic nature of the condemnation.”

   “Same-sex marriage is at the vortex of a vitriolic debate in mainline Christian denominations in the United States. Both those who advocate for same-sex marriage and those who repudiate it employ naturalizing discourses to legitimize their claims.”

   “Throughout his life, Josiah [Clark] Nott corresponded with many interesting and outstanding men of science. He became embroiled with the leaders of Protestant orthodoxy in a vitriolic argument over the unity of mankind. Nott believed that the races were created separately, as opposed to the biblical idea that all humankind came from Adam and Eve.”