Sour or bitter in taste; or figuratively, harsh, sharp, or severe in manner, speech, or tone.
From Latin 'acerbus,' meaning sour or bitter. The word traveled through Old French and Middle English, developing both literal (taste) and metaphorical (personality) meanings by the 17th century.
Acerb perfectly captures that moment when someone makes a joke that's technically funny but delivered so harshly it stings—think of mean comments disguised as humor, which is why literature uses 'acerbic wit' to describe cutting jokes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.