Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste; sour, with astringency or roughness; hence, figuratively, sharp, harsh, etc.

adjective. Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh.

adjective. Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit.

adjective. Sharp and harsh in expressing oneself.

adjective. harsh or corrosive in tone

adjective. sour or bitter in taste

"The morning my review ran, I got a call from an agent friend who is cultivated, extraordinarily smart and superbly acerb."

sour  unpleasant  

acerbate  acerbically  acerbity  exacerbate  

acerbic