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

As her New York Times obituary put it, “She specialized in sourness, or, more politely, acerbity, which she used to her comic advantage in roles as housekeepers, spinsters, wicked stepmothers, nuns and back-talking secretaries.”

From Slate • Aug. 16, 2019

Its emotional harshness and quasi-confessional acerbity is radically untimely—and therefore enduring.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 25, 2017

As Claire — a role played with immortal acerbity by Elaine Stritch, opposite Ms. Harris — Ms. Duncan becomes the cute, love-starved little sister who never quite grew up.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2014

That's not inappropriate, and once Christopher Salazar arrives as hero John Worthing, the contrast between his benign gravitas and Hunter's febrile acerbity is drolly amusing, a Victorian-era Mutt and Jeff.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2014

The touch of acerbity froze him at once.

From The Sailor by Snaith, J. C.