tartly

Adverb

tartly (comparative more tartly, superlative most tartly)

1. In a tart manner; sourly or bitterly.
   • 'And have you nothing for me, duckie?'
     'O, you! The back of my hand to you!' said Mrs Kernan tartly.1905 (date written), James Joyce, “Grace”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC, page 199
   • The next day, the deputy chancellor, Robert Habeck, a Green, said tartly, “I’m pleased that France is thinking about how to increase its support for Ukraine, but if I could give it a word of advice — supply more weapons.”2024 March 9, Steven Erlanger, Roger Cohen, Erika Solomon, “Macron and Scholz, Never Close, Spar Over Policy Toward Ukraine and Russia”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms:

   acerbically, acidly