mordant

American  

[mawr-dnt] / ˈmɔr dnt /

adjective

1. sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker; biting.

   Synonyms:

   scathing, acerbic, cutting

2. burning; corrosive.

3. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing.

---

noun

1. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, especially a metallic compound, as an oxide or hydroxide, that combines with the organic dye and forms an insoluble colored compound or lake in the fiber.

2. an adhesive substance for binding gold or silver leaf to a surface.

3. an acid or other corrosive substance used in etching to eat out the lines, areas, etc.

4. Music. mordent.

verb (used with object)

1. to impregnate or treat with a mordant.

mordant British  

/ ˈmɔːdənt /

adjective

1. sarcastic or caustic

2. having the properties of a mordant

3. pungent

---

noun

1. a substance used before the application of a dye, possessing the ability to fix colours in textiles, leather, etc See also lake 2

2. an acid or other corrosive fluid used to etch lines on a printing plate

verb

1. (tr) to treat (a fabric, yarn, etc) with a mordant

Other Word Forms

• mordancy noun
• mordantly adverb
• unmordant adjective
• unmordantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of mordant

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, present participle of mordre “to bite,” ultimately derived from Latin mordēre; see -ant

Explanation

If you like Edgar Allan Poe and "The Addams Family," you have a taste for mordant entertainment — that is, anything particularly grim or dark in nature. The original meaning of mordant (which comes from the Latin word modere, meaning "to bite or sting,") was that of a physical substance that literally bit into something, such as the one used to set dye into fabrics, or etch lines into a copper plate. Now, mordant generally refers to a dark or biting artistic style, sense of humor, or psychological outlook.

Example Sentences

Several years ago, on a cross-Atlantic literary festival where Shriver was an invited author, I observed a packed audience whoop and cheer Shriver’s mordant observations about everything wrong with the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

Via a wild final act, the nihilistic streak seen in many of Mr. Lanthimos’s previous movies emerges again, this time in an especially mordant way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Before that, Serra could most often be found mining France’s centuries past for mordant tableau vivants of corporeal concern, most notably in his protracted bedchamber drama “The Death of Louis XIV.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

Instead, war broke out across Europe, and Asquith made his mordant headache joke on the way to the historical dumpster.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024

The girl watched him warily, but Stonesnake gave a mordant chuckle.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• acerbic
• biting
• caustic
• sardonic
• scathing