BharatNotes Acrimonious
adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
Parliamentary deliberations on land acquisition, once a forum for reasoned accommodation of competing interests, have of late degenerated into acrimonious exchanges that erode both legislative productivity and public trust in democratic institutions.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
acrimony (n), acrimoniously (adv), acrimoniousness (n)
Root
Latin acer = sharp/bitter + -monia = abstract noun suffix → acrimonia = sharpness; -ous = having
Etymology
From Latin acrimonia 'sharpness, pungency', from acer 'sharp, bitter, keen' + the abstract-noun suffix -monia, plus -ous; the figurative sense of personal bitterness emerged by the 1610s.
Memory Hook
Root hook: Latin acer = 'sharp' — the same root as ACRID (a sharp, bitter smell). An ACRImonious debate leaves an ACRID taste: sharp words, bitter feelings.
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