acerbate

[ verb as-er-beyt; adjective uh-sur-bit ]

verb (used with object)

, ac·er·bat·ed, ac·er·bat·ing.

1. to make sour or bitter.
2. to exasperate.

adjective

1. embittered.

acerbate

/ ˈæsəˌbeɪt /

verb

1. to embitter or exasperate
2. to make sour or bitter

Word History and Origins

Origin of acerbate¹

1725–35; < Latin acerbātus, past participle of acerbāre to make bitter. See acerbic, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of acerbate¹

C18: from Latin acerbātus, past participle of acerbāre to make sour

Example Sentences

Fires ravaging huge swaths of countryside only acerbate the climate crisis, he said.

From Seattle Times

Without a trade deal, it would have acerbated chaos at the border where checks on goods will have to be increased since Britain is fully out of the 27-nation bloc.

From Seattle Times

Scientists insist that climate change has acerbated already ripe conditions for calamitous fires, while critics have contended that such devastation is nothing new to the Australian landscape.

From Fox News

"Instead of advancing the United States' interests, politicising trade will only acerbate the country's economic woes, and poison the overall China-US relationship," it said.

From BBC

"But instead of advancing the United States' interests, politicising trade will only acerbate the country's economic woes, and poison the overall China-U.S. relationship."

From Reuters