Robert Winston

About 3 million IVF babies have been born since Louise Brown's birth in 1978. Bizarrely, when this life-giving treatment was first considered, it was massively controversial. A storm of vitriolic protest came from many religious leaders, journalists, politicians, regrettably even other scientists and doctors.

British Scientist

Annie Lennox

Feminism is a word that I identify with. The term has become synonymous with vitriolic man-hating but it needs to come back to a place where both men and women can embrace it. It is particularly important for women in developing countries.

Scottish Musician

Andrea Leadsom

My Twitter feed is polluted with vitriolic personal abuse, much of it gendered. Like almost all female Members of Parliament, I have both seen and experienced inappropriate and sexist behaviour.

British Politician

Richard Roeper

There's a lot of vitriolic ranting out there, but there are literally hundreds of critics on the web who care deeply about film and having something to say about it.

American Critic

Max Boot

On both sides of the Atlantic, politics has come to be dominated by vitriolic name-calling and pervasive dishonesty.

American Author

Roger Scruton

A lot of the Qur'an is, frankly, cantankerous, vitriolic, man-hating stuff.

English Philosopher

'Vitriolic' implies strong negative feelings, often used when emotions like anger or frustration are intense.

Negative Emotion

Use 'vitriolic' to describe language that is not just critical but extremely harsh and hurtful.

Harsh Criticism

'Vitriolic' is appropriate for very strong language, so don't use it for mild or constructive criticism.

Intensity Matters

In chemistry, 'vitriolic' is historical and refers specifically to sulfuric acid and its properties.

Chemical Reference

Only use the chemistry-related meaning of 'vitriolic' in a scientific or educational context.

Scientific Context

The chemistry meaning of 'vitriolic' is less common today and might be considered outdated.

Not Commonly Used

 This vitriolic, global outpouring of the most heinous hate death threats, rape threats. And don't you know, when I was sitting at home alone in my nightgown, I got a phone call, and it was my beloved former husband, and he said on a voice mail,