caustic

Meaning

Adj

1. Capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue.
2. (usually) Sharp, bitter, cutting, biting, and sarcastic in a scathing way.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.
2. (countable, uncountable) The envelope of reflected or refracted rays of light for a given surface or object.
3. (countable, uncountable) The envelope of reflected or refracted rays for a given curve.
4. (informal, uncountable) Caustic soda.

Synonyms

sarcastic

biting

corrosive

acrid

bitter

mordant

sharp

vitriolic

acrimonious

pungent

acid

acerb

acerbic

derisive

stinging

blistering

sulphurous

cutting

malicious

tart

virulent

erosive

pointed

sulfurous

poignant

mocking

burning

harsh

ironic

ironical

keen

satirical

scathing

severe

sharp-tongued

snappish

spiteful

trenchant

corrosive agent

peppery

piercing

hard

evil

punchy

eroding

rancorous

saline

edged

sardonic

acute

Translations

caustico

caustique

beißend

cáustico

ätzend

cáustico

mordace

caustica

mordaz

càustic

corrosif

corrosivo

mordant

acre

scharf

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɔːstɪk/

Etymology

From the Latin causticus (“burning”), from Ancient Greek καυστικός (kaustikós, “burning”), from καυστός (kaustós, “burnt”) + -ικός (-ikós).