Weekly Word: Caustic

This week’s Weekly Word is:

Part of Speech

Adjective and noun

Related Words

caustical (adjective)
caustically (adverb)
causticity (noun)

Pronunciation

UK /ˈkɔː.stɪk/

US /ˈkɑː.stɪk/

Meaning

ADJECTIVE

able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action
sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way
in physics – formed by the intersection of reflected or refracted parallel rays from a curved surface.

NOUN

a caustic substance
in physics – a caustic surface or curve.

Word Origin

First recorded use in 14th century. From the Latin causticus, derived from the Greek kaustikos, from kaiein, meaning “to burn.”

Synonyms

corrosive · corroding · mordant · acid · alkaline · burning · stinging · acrid · harsh · destructive
sarcastic · cutting · biting · mordant · stinging · sharp · scathing

Use in a Sentence

As she sat in the A&E with her arm wrapped in bandages, Helen really wished that she’d paid more attention during the training session on the correct handling of the many caustic substances in the facility’s cleaning cupboard.
His caustic comments had driven them all away and left him in blissful solitude, with no more money-grubbing relatives attempting to worm their way into his will.
The response to her innocent question had been delivered so caustically that Emilie had barely lifted her gaze from her books for the rest of the session, never mind made any further enquiries of her tutor.

If you would like to join in with this activity in any way, feel free to do so. You could either share a Weekly Word of your own – this week beginning with the letter C – or you could use my word, or Millie Thom’s, as inspiration for a post. This could be a piece of poetry, flash fiction, or any form of prose you choose. Just share a link in the comments so we can see what you’ve been up to!