Lenity and Vitriol

Lenity

Lenity noun - Kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it.
Usage example: a social critic who argues that judicial lenity is chiefly to blame for the increased criminality that plagues us

Vitriol is an antonym for lenity.

Vitriol

Vitriol noun - Biting sharpness of feeling or expression.

Lenity is an antonym for vitriol.

Nearby Word: vitriolic
Cite this Source
Vitriol and Lenity. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/lenity/vitriol
Lenity & Vitriol. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/lenity/vitriol>.
Vitriol or Lenity. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/lenity/vitriol.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "lenity" and "vitriol" have occurred on timeline