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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mordant
Six Organs of Admittance Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St., New Haven
The mordant post-modern folk act Six Organs of Admittance is at Space Ballroom on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. with two other singular voices, experimental Bhutanese guitarist Tashi Dorji and Connecticut indie folk legend Kath Bloom.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Nov. 2024
That movie was a mixed bag — watchable but no match for Moland’s own homeland original, In Order of Disappearance, a terrific Stellan Skarsgard vehicle that more effectively nailed the blend of tragedy, bloody violence and mordant humor.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
There’s mordant wit, too, in the fact that this woman’s liberation is wholly enabled by a man’s rash murder.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
His allusions can be hard to follow, but his mordant wit repays the effort.
—The Week Us, theweek, 17 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Nov. 2024
That movie was a mixed bag — watchable but no match for Moland’s own homeland original, In Order of Disappearance, a terrific Stellan Skarsgard vehicle that more effectively nailed the blend of tragedy, bloody violence and mordant humor.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
There’s mordant wit, too, in the fact that this woman’s liberation is wholly enabled by a man’s rash murder.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
His allusions can be hard to follow, but his mordant wit repays the effort.
—The Week Us, theweek, 17 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
-
Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The real star of the show, though, is not the satiric script or the campy performances, but rather how each character brings their own unique approach to dressing for the corporate ladder.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Seinfeld is a Jewish man from New York’s Long Island with a wry and sarcastic sense of humor.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Others lose a sense of trust by the sarcastic digs, eye rolls, interrupting, or belittling.—
Rachel Glik, Contributor,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Black dragons are the ultimate swamp monsters that shoot an acid breath attack.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The missing link between a so-so dish and a stellar one is often acid.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The minerals transformed into alkaline magnesium oxide and calcium silicate, both of which react quickly with acidic CO2 in the air.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Mar. 2025
-
And in some of his greatest on-screen work ever, Hackman depicted the resentful, acidic patriarch in the Wes Anderson dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Mengistu, a member of Israel's Ethiopian minority, entered the territory by crossing a barbed wire fence into Gaza.—
ASSOCIATED PRESS,
TIME,
22 Feb. 2025
-
All pennies will henceforth be exiled to Guantanamo to live out their lives as former currency in orange jumpsuits, behind barbed wire, only inches from the best beaches ever.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The caustic nature of memory and secrets seizes Russell’s fascination.—
Lauren LeBlanc,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Charlie Sheen plays a soldier whose loyalty is divided between Tom Berenger’s caustic Barnes and Willem Dafoe’s kindly Elias.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to mordant
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share