stinging words; barbed remarks; harsh language
Describes speech that is intentionally hurtful, sarcastic, or critical, often implying hidden malice.
She criticized him with stinging words.
During the meeting, everyone fell silent at the boss's barbed remarks.
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
Variant spelling using 有る for ある; less common but still encountered.
Literally 'words with thorns', a metaphorical expression where 刺 (thorn) represents the sharp, hurtful nature of the speech.