astringent
Other forms: astringents; astringently
You know that vinegar-like liquid teens put on their faces in order to tighten their pores and dry up their pimples? That's astringent. An astringent personality, on the other hand, is perceived as bitter and perhaps even a bit toxic.
Astringent may be a lifesaver for an acne-prone teen, but when the term is used as an adjective and applied to you personally, it's less positive. Since astringents are acid-based, an astringent personality can also be corrosive. If someone is prone to biting sarcasm and cynicism, he probably has an astringent view of the world.
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tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue
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a drug that causes contraction of body tissues and canalssynonyms: astringent drug, styptictypes:aluma double sulphate of aluminum and potassium that is used as an astringent (among other things)type of:medicament, medication, medicinal drug, medicine(medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease
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a lotion for cleansing the skin and contracting the pores
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sour or bitter in taste
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harsh or corrosive in tonesynonyms: acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolicunpleasantdisagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings
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Vocabulary lists containing astringent
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Sample a few linguistic morsels from this list of words that describe flavors and tastes.