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Definition of asperity
asperities
1 : roughness of manner or of temper : harshness of behavior or speech that expresses bitterness or anger He asked with some asperity just what they were implying.
2 : rigor, severity … whether hearing herself described as a ‘lovely woman’ softened the asperity of her grief … — Charles Dickens
3a : roughness of surface : unevenness; also : a tiny projection from a surface the asperities of the tongueb : roughness of sound
From the M-W Editors
asperity was our Word of the Day on 06/17/2010. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Did You Know?
Asperity has had a rough history. It came to Modern English through Middle English (where it was spelled "asprete") by way of the Anglo-French ("asprete"), and ultimately derives from the Latin word asper, which means "rough." Not only is "asper" the source of "asperity," but it also underlies the English word exasperate (in fact, you can see "asper" nestled in the midst of that word). Although it is far less common than "asperity" and "exasperate," the word asper itself is still occasionally used in English, too - it functions as a synonym of "harsh," "bitter," or "stern."
Origin and Etymology of asperity
Middle English asprete, from Anglo-French aspreté, from aspre rough, from Latin asper, from Old Latin *absperos, from ab- ab- + -speros; akin to Sanskrit apasphura repelling, Latin spernere to spurn — more at spurn
Learn More about asperity
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See words that rhyme with asperity Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for asperity Spanish Central: Translation of asperity Nglish: Translation of asperity for Spanish speakers
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