acerbate
American
[as-er-beyt, uh-sur-bit]
/ ˈæs ərˌbeɪt, əˈsɜr bɪt /
verb (used with object)
acerbated,
acerbating
-
to make sour or bitter.
-
to exasperate.
adjective
acerbate
British
/ ˈæsəˌbeɪt /
verb
-
to embitter or exasperate
-
to make sour or bitter
Etymology
Origin of acerbate
1725–35; < Latin acerbātus, past participle of acerbāre to make bitter. See acerbic, -ate 1
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
