Vitriolic describes words — writing, speech, criticism, an argument — that are savagely bitter and cruel. Not just angry: angry with an edge that is meant to burn the other person. A vitriolic review does not say 'the film had weaknesses'; it goes after the director personally and enjoys doing it.

Vitriolic describes wordsvitriolic用來形容文字 — writing, speech, criticism, an argument寫作、言論、批評、爭論 — that are savagely bitter and cruel凶狠尖酸、很殘忍的那種。Not just angry不只是生氣: angry with an edge that is meant to burn the other person是那種帶著刻意要傷害對方的銳利感的生氣。A vitriolic review does not say 'the film had weaknesses'一篇vitriolic review（尖酸的影評）不會只說「這部片有些缺點」; it goes after the director personally它會針對導演本人下手 and enjoys doing it而且下手下得很享受。

It almost always sits in front of a small set of nouns: vitriolic attack, vitriolic criticism, vitriolic language, vitriolic remarks, a vitriolic email, a vitriolic exchange. You would not normally say 'he was vitriolic' about a person's whole character; you say it about what came out of them. It is a strong word, stronger than 'harsh' or 'sharp' — reach for it only when the cruelty is real.

It almost always sits in front of a small set of nouns它幾乎總是搭配固定的一小群名詞: vitriolic attack, vitriolic criticism, vitriolic language, vitriolic remarks, a vitriolic email, a vitriolic exchangevitriolic attack（惡毒攻擊）、vitriolic criticism（尖酸批評）、vitriolic language（惡毒言詞）、vitriolic remarks（惡毒言論）、a vitriolic email（一封惡毒的信）、a vitriolic exchange（一場惡毒的交鋒）。You would not normally say 'he was vitriolic' about a person's whole character你通常不會說'he was vitriolic'來形容一個人的整體性格; you say it about what came out of them而是用它來形容從那個人嘴裡或筆下說出來、寫出來的東西。It is a strong word, stronger than 'harsh' or 'sharp'這是一個很強烈的字，比'harsh'或'sharp'還強 — reach for it only when the cruelty is real只有在真的很殘忍的時候才用它。

The register is written and journalistic: newspapers, book reviews, reports of political fights and online abuse. In speech people are more likely to say 'brutal', 'nasty', or 'poisonous'. The related noun is 'vitriol', very common in the phrase 'pour vitriol on someone' or 'a campaign full of vitriol'.

The register is written and journalistic這個字的語域偏書面、新聞體: newspapers, book reviews, reports of political fights and online abuse出現在報紙、書評、政治鬥爭的報導，還有網路上的謾罵報導裡。In speech在口語裡 people are more likely to say 'brutal', 'nasty', or 'poisonous'大家比較會說'brutal'、'nasty'，或'poisonous'。The related noun is 'vitriol'相關的名詞是'vitriol', very common in the phrase 'pour vitriol on someone' or 'a campaign full of vitriol'常出現在'pour vitriol on someone'（對某人惡言相向）或'a campaign full of vitriol'（充滿惡毒言詞的一場運動）這類說法裡。

One nice thing to know: the word is built on a real chemical. Vitriol was an old name for sulfuric acid, which burns skin. So the picture inside the word is exact — language used as acid.

One nice thing to know有個有趣的地方: the word is built on a real chemical這個字是從一種真實存在的化學物質來的。Vitriol was an old name for sulfuric acidvitriol以前是硫酸的舊稱, which burns skin那是一種會灼傷皮膚的酸。So the picture inside the word is exact所以這個字裡藏的畫面非常精確 — language used as acid言語被當成酸來用。