Meaning & use
caustically critical
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Expressing criticism in a bitterly sharp, mocking way that is meant to wound or belittle.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in a caustically critical article; for the predicative use, the adverb plus adjective follows a linking verb: the review was caustically critical.
Patterns
- caustically critical of someone
- caustically critical remarks
- be caustically critical about something
The columnist wrote a caustically critical piece about the mayor's housing plan.
Her caustically critical comments about his cooking made everyone at the table go quiet.
He can be caustically critical of colleagues in meetings, then friendly again five minutes later.
adjectiveafter a verb
Describing a comment or review that attacks someone's work with scornful, sarcastic language.
Grammar: Comes after linking verbs such as be, seem, or sound: the tone seemed caustically critical rather than helpful.
Patterns
- seem caustically critical
- sound caustically critical
- be caustically critical of something
The feedback sounded caustically critical, even though most of the ideas were sound.
What was meant as honest advice came across as caustically critical.
Common combinations
- a caustically critical review
- The film got a caustically critical review in the Sunday paper.
- caustically critical of someone
- She was caustically critical of the new manager in front of the whole team.
- caustically critical tone
- His caustically critical tone made the email hard to finish reading.
- come across as caustically critical
- A short note can come across as caustically critical when you meant it kindly.
- caustically critical remarks
- The coach's caustically critical remarks upset the younger players.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scathing
- Scathing means severely critical and is often used for written attacks; caustically critical stresses a mocking, stinging tone rather than pure severity.
- sarcastic
- Sarcastic focuses on saying the opposite of what you mean; caustically critical focuses on the hostile, biting effect of the criticism.
- biting
- Biting criticism is sharp and painful, but it need not be mocking; caustically critical usually suggests scorn as well.
- vitriolic
- Vitriolic is stronger and more formal, suggesting uncontrolled hatred; caustically critical can still sound controlled and deliberate.
Opposites
Word family
- caustic adjective
- Directly and unkindly critical, or (in chemistry) able to burn material away.
- caustically adverb
- In a biting, mocking way, as in she spoke caustically about the proposal.
- critical adjective
- Pointing out faults, or very important; the base adjective in this phrase.
- criticism noun
- The act of saying what is wrong with someone or something.
- critic noun
- A person who judges and comments on works or behavior.
Commonly confused: caustically critical or cynically critical? caustically critical or critically caustic?
caustically critical vs cynically critical
Cynical means doubting people's good motives; caustic means the criticism itself is sharp and mocking. A cynical person may be quietly distrustful, while caustically critical remarks openly sting.
caustically critical vs critically caustic
This reversed order is unusual and sounds odd; keep the adverb first, as in caustically critical.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase follows a linking verb and takes of before the thing being attacked, so 'was caustically critical of the safety failures' is right. 'Critical to' means essential, not fault-finding, and the other two options break the grammar of the adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caustically critical”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.