Mordant

Pronunciation: /ˈmɔːrdənt/

Definitions of mordant

adjective having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style

Example Sentences

A1 Her mordant sense of humor often made her friends laugh.

A2 The comedian's mordant jokes were not well-received by everyone in the audience.

B1 The author's mordant wit added depth to the characters in the novel.

B2 The professor's mordant criticism of the student's paper was harsh but fair.

C1 The politician's mordant remarks about his opponent caused a stir in the media.

C2 The film director's mordant commentary on society's flaws was both insightful and provocative.

Examples of mordant in a Sentence

formal The scientist used a mordant solution to etch the metal surface for analysis.

informal She made a mordant comment about his fashion sense, but he didn't seem to notice.

slang I can't believe she said that, she's so mordant sometimes.

figurative His mordant wit always keeps the conversation lively.

Grammatical Forms of mordant

• past tense: mordanted
• plural: mordants
• comparative: more mordant
• superlative: most mordant
• present tense: mordants
• future tense: will mordant
• perfect tense: has mordanted
• continuous tense: is mordanting
• singular: mordant
• positive degree: mordant
• infinitive: to mordant
• gerund: mordanting
• participle: mordanting

Origin and Evolution of mordant

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'mordant' originated from the Latin word 'mordere' which means 'to bite'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the 15th century to describe a substance that fixes colors in dyeing, the word 'mordant' has evolved to also mean harshly ironic or sarcastic in tone.