Which word is most appropriate for describing a remark that is biting and corrosive?

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Study for the NLN PAX Verbal English Exam. Enhance your vocabulary, understand reading passages, and improve your language skills with our comprehensive quiz that includes interactive questions and detailed explanations. Get prepared for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which word is most appropriate for describing a remark that is biting and corrosive?

Explanation:
A remark described as biting and corrosive is best called caustic. Caustic conveys that sharp, cutting quality—like something that burns or eats away at a façade, but in speech it means language that is harsh, sarcastic, and injuriously witty. That sense fits a remark that aims to sting or undermine someone. Scintillating would imply brilliance and sparkle in a positive way, not the harsh sting of a remark. Tepid means dull or lacking in enthusiasm, which doesn’t capture the biting edge. Abjured means renounced or rejected, not describing the tone of a remark at all.

A remark described as biting and corrosive is best called caustic. Caustic conveys that sharp, cutting quality—like something that burns or eats away at a façade, but in speech it means language that is harsh, sarcastic, and injuriously witty. That sense fits a remark that aims to sting or undermine someone.

Scintillating would imply brilliance and sparkle in a positive way, not the harsh sting of a remark. Tepid means dull or lacking in enthusiasm, which doesn’t capture the biting edge. Abjured means renounced or rejected, not describing the tone of a remark at all.

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