CAUSTIC: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for CAUSTIC?

Need another word that means the same as “caustic”? Find 36 synonyms and 30 related words for “caustic” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Caustic” are: corrosive, erosive, mordant, vitriolic, acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, alkaline, burning, stinging, harsh, destructive, sarcastic, cutting, biting, sharp, scathing, derisive, sardonic, ironic, scornful, trenchant, tart, pungent, acrimonious, astringent, critical, polemic, venomous, waspish

Caustic as an Adjective

Definitions of "Caustic" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “caustic” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.
• Formed by the intersection of reflected or refracted parallel rays from a curved surface.
• Able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action.
• Harsh or corrosive in tone.
• Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action.

Synonyms of "Caustic" as an adjective (36 Words)

acerb	Sour or bitter in taste. Dry acerb literate satire.
acerbic	Sour or bitter in taste. An acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose.
acid	Having the characteristics of an acid. Acid soils.
acrid	Harsh or corrosive in tone. Her acrid remarks make her many enemies.
acrimonious	Marked by strong resentment or cynicism. An acrimonious dispute.
alkaline	Relating to or containing an alkali; having a pH greater than 7. An alkaline soil.
astringent	(of taste or smell) slightly acidic or bitter. Astringent cosmetic lotions.
biting	Causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold. A cream to ward off biting insects.
bitter	Having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; not sweet. Quinine is bitter.
blistering	Extremely fast, forceful, or impressive. Burke set a blistering pace.
burning	Very keenly or deeply felt; intense. He had a burning ambition to climb to the upper reaches of management.
corrosive	Tending to cause corrosion. Corrosive cristism.
critical	(of a situation or problem) having the potential to become disastrous; at a point of crisis. A critical attitude.
cutting	Capable of cutting something. Cutting remarks.
derisive	Expressing contempt or ridicule. He gave a harsh derisive laugh.
destructive	Causing great and irreparable damage. The destructive power of weapons.
erosive	Wearing away by friction. The erosive effects of waves on the shoreline.
harsh	Disagreeable to the senses. Harsh guttural shouts.
ironic	Humorously sarcastic or mocking. An ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely.
mordant	Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action. A mordant sense of humour.
polemic	Of or involving dispute or controversy.
pungent	(of comment, criticism, or humour) having a sharp and caustic quality. He has expressed some fairly pungent criticisms.
sarcastic	Marked by or given to using irony in order to mock or convey contempt. I think they re being sarcastic.
sardonic	Disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking- Frank Schoenberner- Irwin Edman. Starkey attempted a sardonic smile.
scathing	Witheringly scornful; severely critical. She launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister.
scornful	Feeling or expressing contempt or derision. Scornful laughter.
sharp	Having or emitting a high pitched and sharp tone or tones. They were greeted by a young man in a sharp suit.
stinging	(of speech) harsh or hurtful in tone or character. A stinging pain.
sulfurous	Harsh or corrosive in tone. The sulfurous atmosphere preceding a thunderstorm.
sulphurous	Harsh or corrosive in tone. A sulphurous glance.
trenchant	(of a weapon or tool) having a sharp edge. Trenchant criticism.
venomous	(of an animal, especially a snake) secreting venom, or capable of injecting venom by means of a bite or sting. The venomous tone of her voice.
virulent	Harsh or corrosive in tone. Staphylococcus aureus is a common organism whose virulent strains are causing problems.
vitriolic	Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action. Vitriolic outbursts.
waspish	Very irritable. He had a waspish tongue.

Usage Examples of "Caustic" as an adjective

• A caustic cleaner.
• The players were making caustic comments about the refereeing.
• Caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics.

Associations of "Caustic" (30 Words)

abrade	Wear away. It was a landscape slowly abraded by a fine stinging dust.
abrasive	Causing abrasion. The trees were abrasive to the touch.
breakable	Things which are fragile and easily broken. An encrypted password isn t easily breakable.
brittle	A brittle sweet made from nuts and set melted sugar. Brittle bones.
calamitous	(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. Such calamitous events as fires hurricanes and floods.
corrode	Cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid. Over the years copper pipework corrodes.
corrosive	A corrosive substance. The corrosive effects of salt water.
crushing	Forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority. A crushing blow.
delicacy	A choice or expensive food. Miniature pearls of exquisite delicacy.
delicate	A delicate fabric or garment. A delicate lace shawl.
destructive	Causing great and irreparable damage. Destructive criticism.
devastate	Cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly. She was devastated by the loss of Damian.
effeminacy	The trait of being effeminate (derogatory of a man. The students associated science with masculinity and arts with effeminacy.
emaciation	Extreme leanness (usually caused by starvation or disease. Thin to the point of emaciation.
erosive	Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action. The erosive effects of waves on the shoreline.
fatal	Controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined. There were three fatal flaws in the strategy.
flagging	Becoming tired or less dynamic; declining in strength. There was a pile of flagging waiting to be laid in place.
fragile	Easily broken or damaged or destroyed. A small fragile old lady.
fragility	The quality of being easily broken or damaged. His emotional fragility.
friable	Easily broken into small fragments or reduced to powder. The soil was friable between her fingers.
gnaw	Bite at or nibble something persistently. The doubts continued to gnaw at me.
iconoclasm	The rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical; the doctrine of iconoclasts.
infirm	Lacking firmness of will or character or purpose – Shakespeare. Those who were old or infirm.
particulate	Composed of distinct particles. Particulate pollution.
rotten	To an extreme degree; very much. He s had rotten luck this year.
ruinous	Causing injury or blight; especially affecting with sudden violence or plague or ruin. A ruinous effect on the environment.
rust	A plant disease that produces a reddish brown discoloration of leaves and stems caused by various rust fungi. Paint protects your car from rust.
vitriolic	Harsh or corrosive in tone. Vitriolic outbursts.
weak	Relating to or denoting the weakest of the known kinds of force between particles which acts only at distances less than about 10 cm is very much weaker than the electromagnetic and the strong interactions and conserves neither strangeness parity nor isospin. The weak link in the chain.
weakly	In a way that lacks strength or force. If the lambs were weakly we had to feed them by hand.