acerbity
noun
acer·bi·ty ə-ˈsər-bə-tē 
a-
plural acerbities
: the quality of being acerbic
Synonyms
- acidity
- acidness
- acridity
- acridness
- acrimoniousness
- acrimony
- acuteness
- asperity
- bite
- bitterness
- edge
- harshness
- keenness
- poignance
- poignancy
- pungency
- roughness
- sharpness
- tartness
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the customer made his displeasure known with more acerbity than was necessary
Recent Examples on the Web 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 And yet another worried about the prospect of a boycott of their companies’ products depending on the acerbity of their words. Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2017 Its emotional harshness and quasi-confessional acerbity is radically untimely—and therefore enduring. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2017 See More
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 And yet another worried about the prospect of a boycott of their companies’ products depending on the acerbity of their words. Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2017 Its emotional harshness and quasi-confessional acerbity is radically untimely—and therefore enduring. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Middle French acerbité, borrowed from Latin acerbitāt-, acerbitās, from acerbus "sour, bitter" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at acerb
First Known Use
1572, in the meaning defined above
acerbity
noun
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality the customer made his displeasure known with more acerbity than was necessary Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- bitterness
- acidity
- bite
- acridity
- pungency
- poignance
- poignancy
- harshness
- acuteness
- edge
- asperity
- severity
- acrimony
- roughness
- tartness
- sharpness
- keenness
- spice
- acridness
- severeness
- tang
- shrillness
- virulence
- punch
- vitriol
- pointedness
- acidness
- ginger
- acrimoniousness
- raucousness
- maliciousness
- thorniness
- cattiness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- softness
- gentleness
- mildness
- kindliness