asperity

noun

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as·per·i·ty | \ ə-ˈsper-ə-tē

, a-, -ˈspe-rə- \

plural asperities

Definition of asperity

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 tongue

b : roughness of sound

Synonyms & Antonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About asperity

Did you know?

The etymology of asperity is "rough." It is adapted from Middle English asprete, which was borrowed from the Anglo-French aspreté, 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—it functions as a synonym of harsh, bitter, and stern.

Examples of asperity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By the time Keane wrote Devoted Ladies, a note of asperity had crept into her fiction. — Francine Prose, The New York Review of Books, 22 Nov. 2018 Imagine Don Draper’s grasp of American psychopathology delivered with the pithy asperity of Emily Dickinson. — Megan O’grady, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'asperity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.