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
In his new book, Andersen takes a dizzy, mordant trip through five centuries of magical thinking, bringing a novelist’s gaze to make-believe Americana.
—
James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
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
See All Example Sentences for mordant
James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
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
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
-
That’s the premise of Douglas Is Cancelled, a cruelly funny 2024 BBC sitcom that seems very much in sync with satiric comedies such as The Office and W1A and Yes Minister.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Always down to gossip and party, Redmond exudes Gemini's energy through his zesty and sarcastic attitude.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
This is not just a sarcastic take but a practical one.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Alice in Wonderland is the exception with a $1 billion global take, made with the acid stylings of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp when the latter was hot as hell in a pre-streaming 2010.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The company is a leading supplier of liquid and dry, acid and bicarbonate concentrates for dialysis patients in the United States.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Make sure the soil is well-drained and acidic with pH levels ranging between 4.5-6.0. Consider laying down mulch to help the plants retain more moisture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The warmer temperatures on the ocean surface are more acidic, which favors algae.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
They are usually laid out in vast fields ahead of defensive positions, marked with barbed wire and warning signs Such minefields slow down or halt an enemy assault.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
An enemy then grabs the barbed wire with his bare hands — which already sounds like a bad idea, btw — only for the wire to shock him backward.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In part, that’s because both actors are delivering impeccable work, balancing their caustic comic chemistry with course, unbridled vulnerability.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
-
It’s been more than 40 years since Mamet’s crop of caustic salesmen first hit the Broadway stage, becoming both a darling among critics and, seemingly, the dream production of every middle-aged male actor.—
Emlyn Travis,
EW.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share