acerbity

American  

[uh-sur-bi-tee] / əˈsɜr bɪ ti /

noun

1. sourness, with roughness or astringency of taste.

2. harshness or severity, as of temper or expression.

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acerbity British  

/ əˈsɜːbɪtɪ /

noun

1. vitriolic or embittered speech, temper, etc

2. sourness or bitterness of taste

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Etymology

Origin of acerbity

From the Latin word acerbitās, dating back to 1565–75. See acerbic, -ity

Explanation

A lemon in your mouth, a mean-spirited neighbor, a roomful of sarcastic people: these are examples of acerbity, a type of harsh bitterness that can leave you stunned. The Latin word acerbus means “sour-tasting,” and that is acerbity in a nutshell: sour. Many foods have acerbity, like limes and pickles. Acerbity can also be a personality trait, like a professor who snaps at you if you talk in class. In Charles Dickens’s novel A Christmas Carol, the character Ebenezer Scrooge is a great example of acerbity. He is a bitter, stingy businessman who won’t help anyone but himself. Don’t worry; he learns his lesson in the end.

Example Sentences

With humor and a touch of good-natured acerbity, the two converse and even argue over the finer points of their craft.

From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2019

It brings together judgment and gentleness, reason and passion, acerbity and receptivity.

From The Guardian • Sep. 21, 2018

By now Dimon is nearly iconic in his acerbity and general spikiness.

From Slate • Jul. 17, 2017

He lamented that there were “so many anecdotes” about Jobs’s acerbity: “His intention, and motivation, wasn’t to be hurtful.”

From The New Yorker • Feb. 16, 2015

When the delicate flavour of his cigar floated away on the soft summer air, even Valentine’s acerbity of temper relaxed.

From Greene Ferne Farm by Jefferies, Richard