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acerbate

[ verb as-er-beyt; adjective uh-sur-bit ]
/ verb ˈæs ərˌbeɪt; adjective əˈsɜr bɪt /
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See synonyms for acerbate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), ac·er·bat·ed, ac·er·bat·ing.
to make sour or bitter.
to exasperate.
adjective
embittered.
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Origin of acerbate

1725–35; <Latin acerbātus, past participle of acerbāre to make bitter. See acerbic, -ate1

Words nearby acerbate

acequia, acer, aceramic, acerate, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acerbity, acerola, acerose, acerous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to acerbate

aggravate, annoy, disturb, perturb, provoke

How to use acerbate in a sentence

  • Lady Laura had triumphed; but she had no desire to acerbate her husband by any unpalatable allusion to her victory.

    Phineas Finn|Anthony Trollope

  • The poor girl had not spirit sufficient to upbraid her friend; nor did it suit her now to acerbate an enemy.

    The Way We Live Now|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for acerbate

acerbate
/ (ˈæsəˌbeɪt) /
verb (tr)
to embitter or exasperate
to make sour or bitter

Word Origin for acerbate

C18: from Latin acerbātus, past participle of acerbāre to make sour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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