ACERBITY Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

acerbity

noun

ə-ˈsər-bə-tē

Definition of acerbity

as in bitterness

a harsh or sharp quality the customer made his displeasure known with more acerbity than was necessary

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 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 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

This copper beauty serves up bold floral and citrus aromas, plus the signature IPA bitterness.

— Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Little united the Syrian rebels during the country’s civil war from 2011 to 2024 outside of their hatred of Assad, and Damascus has sought to cultivate this memory of bitterness to keep the country’s disparate groups together.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of bitterness

Noun

The lawsuit further alleged that Trader Joe’s put its crustless PB&Js peanut in packaging that too closely resembled the coloring of an Uncrustables box and featured a similar photograph of a sandwich with a bite taken out of one side.

— Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Throughout the night, creatives grazed on light bites from Goop Kitchen—the teriyaki salmon hand rolls were a crowd favorite—and bopped to the tunes from DJ Mariko.

— Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of bite

Noun

The negative is that rookie edge Keyron Crawford is out for the year with an ankle injury.

— Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
China continues to rely on Dutch manufacturer ASML for nearly all of its cutting-edge deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, while some DUV systems encounter US export restrictions.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of edge

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acerbic

acerbity

aces

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Style

“Acerbity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbity. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of acerbity

noun

Example Sentences

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