barbative

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English

Etymology

Possibly a blend of barb, in the sense of "a cutting remark" and rebarbative (repellent, irritating).

Adjective

barbative (comparative more barbative, superlative most barbative)

  1. Harshly critical or blunt; sarcastic.
    • 2002, Colleen McCullough, The October Horse, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, pages 580–581:
      Most of the time he lay among the shadows, left the conversation to his elders. Except for those sudden, uncannily prescient, occasionally barbative, remarks. Uttered quietly but firmly.