Acerbic
Etymology
From Latin acerbus, "harsh, bitter, sour to the taste," related to acer, "sharp, keen" — the same family as "acrid" and "acid." The word began by describing the sourness of unripe fruit. That gustatory bitterness became a metaphor for the tone of speech and temper, so acerbic now means sharp and biting in expression.
adjective · /uh-SUR-bik/
Sharp and cutting in tone, speech, or manner.
What it names
The sour, unsparing edge of a person whose remarks have a distinct bitter tang.
Example
The columnist was famous for acerbic one-liners that politicians pretended not to read.
Related idea
Acrimonious describes bitter ill will between people, often mutual; acerbic describes the sharp, sour quality of one person’s tone or wit.