acrimony

Definition

The special brand of bitterness that permeates divorces, business breakups, and office feuds where former partners now communicate exclusively through lawyers and passive-aggressive emails. It's hostility aged to perfection, going well beyond simple disagreement into the realm of lasting resentment. When a relationship ends in acrimony, you know there won't be any 'let's stay friends' nonsense.

Example Usage

The partnership dissolved in acrimony after they discovered he'd been secretly starting a competing company.

Source: Common legal terminology

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Estoppel

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