as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
the customer made his displeasure known with more acerbity than was necessary
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Recent Examples of acerbity
The third element of the trio is Mary Flynn, played by the terrific Lindsey Mendez, a 2018 Tony winner for Carousel, with a natural warmth that offsets the character’s growing acerbity.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2022
The Brodie books demonstrate her great facility with genre, pairing pulse-quickening suspense with Atkinson’s distinctive blend of puckishness and acerbity.
—Sarah Chihaya, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2022
Mazower notes with some acerbity that no king of Greece died quietly in office before 1947 . . .
—Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021
Rarely does a reviewer convey her opinion of a book’s strengths and weaknesses with such grace and acerbity.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2020
The Academy Awards for the movies of 1988 were awash in bluntness, cruelty and acerbity.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2020
There is, however, something respectable and clarifying about its commitment to acerbity.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired, 7 Sep. 2020
Overly harsh with citrus, the fish was like an Italianate ceviche, and its acerbity drowned the satiny, subtle panna cotta.
—Kate Washington, sacbee, 11 May 2018
By now Dimon is nearly iconic in his acerbity and general spikiness.
—Daniel Gross, Slate Magazine, 17 July 2017
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2022
The Brodie books demonstrate her great facility with genre, pairing pulse-quickening suspense with Atkinson’s distinctive blend of puckishness and acerbity.
—Sarah Chihaya, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2022
Mazower notes with some acerbity that no king of Greece died quietly in office before 1947 . . .
—Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021
Rarely does a reviewer convey her opinion of a book’s strengths and weaknesses with such grace and acerbity.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2020
The Academy Awards for the movies of 1988 were awash in bluntness, cruelty and acerbity.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2020
There is, however, something respectable and clarifying about its commitment to acerbity.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired, 7 Sep. 2020
Overly harsh with citrus, the fish was like an Italianate ceviche, and its acerbity drowned the satiny, subtle panna cotta.
—Kate Washington, sacbee, 11 May 2018
By now Dimon is nearly iconic in his acerbity and general spikiness.
—Daniel Gross, Slate Magazine, 17 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbity
Noun
-
Choose cloth, leather, rubber or anything thick that will protect you from accidental bites, says Chuang.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Aug. 2025
-
There's a full beer and cocktail menu along with snacks and bites.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The square stones have rounded edges to prevent scratching, and there’s no unpleasant metallic taste.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Back to the top of the order, Jurickson Profar got a changeup on the outside edge of the zone and lined it to left field for a double.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Yet on the table in front of us were three vials of blue liquid with a pH of 4—roughly the acidity of coffee or orange juice.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The dijon mustard sauce is also a limited edition item, and PEOPLE recommends using a generous amount of it as its acidity cuts through the rich flavor of the fried chicken.—
Logan Holland,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acerbity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbity. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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