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GRE vocabulary

caustic

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore C words

bitingly sarcastic or harshly critical

Word origin: From Greek kaustikos, capable of burning (kaiein to burn).

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In a sentence

Caustic in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing caustic in a sentence.

His caustic review left the playwright too stung to respond.

His caustic review dismissed the production as amateurish in every department.

Antonyms
gentlekindcomplimentary

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Verbal · Text Completion

The historian argued that the empire's collapse was not blank but the predictable outcome of decades of fiscal mismanagement that contemporaries had simply refused to acknowledge.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “caustic” well

Caustic describes biting, corrosive sarcasm, drawn from the literal sense of a chemical that burns. The tone is sharply critical and often cruel.

Common questions

Questions about “caustic”

Caustic (adjective) means bitingly sarcastic or harshly critical
Here is caustic used in an example sentence: "His caustic review left the playwright too stung to respond." Another example: "His caustic review dismissed the production as amateurish in every department."
Common synonyms for caustic include scathing, biting, acerbic, mordant.
Antonyms of caustic include gentle, kind, complimentary.
Caustic pairs with scathing, biting, acerbic, and mordant. Its antonyms gentle, kind, and complimentary mark the mild-context answers.
Yes. Caustic is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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