1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
doesn't like the asperity of most experimental music
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2
as in severity
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
she responded with such asperity that we knew she was deeply offended by the question
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3
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
as a physically challenged person, he has encountered more than his share of asperities on the road to success
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Recent Examples of asperity
Robin Waterfield’s Aesop’s Fables: A New Translation (Basic Books, $30) renders them in all their feral, fatalistic glory—bursts of Hobbesian asperity with dubious, sometimes conflicting, morals.
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Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
Advertisement On a re-read, Orwell’s narrative holds up, in large part due to the asperity of the prose and the prescient description of how fascism can creep into any society that takes freedom for granted.
—Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Her asperity has brought upon her the full flaming rage of the Twittersphere.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2022
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
Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
Advertisement On a re-read, Orwell’s narrative holds up, in large part due to the asperity of the prose and the prescient description of how fascism can creep into any society that takes freedom for granted.
—Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Her asperity has brought upon her the full flaming rage of the Twittersphere.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2022
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asperity
Noun
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As happened during a 2018–19 shutdown, some of those TSA agents could stop working due to financial hardship, potentially causing longer lines and wait times because of a lack of staff.Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2024
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All of those workers would have to manage those financial hardships and uncertainty during what is usually a festive time of year.Brian Bennett, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In contrast, Venus-like planets on the inner edge of extrasolar habitable zones are thought to have what is known as stagnant lid geophysics in which there is no systematic carbon recycling of the planet’s atmosphere.Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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Outlook: The Gators’ depth on the edge dwindles with the exits of Pyburn and Searcy.Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Now, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel has offered a huge update on the severity of Waddle's injury.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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Depending on the severity of your condition, your healthcare provider may recommend both types of treatments.Ashley Wong, Health, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Greg Germain, a law professor at Syracuse University in New York, told Newsweek on Thursday that the case against Trump is now in extreme difficulty.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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In a February statement, representatives voiced concerns over Williams’ difficulty to process information, her erratic behavior and her struggles to understand financial transactions.Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Located just below Tak, Izakaya is ideal for quick bites of sushi and sips of sake in a casual setting.Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2024
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Betting on one brand gives you only one bite at the apple.Gary Stern, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In January, the World Bank and Ipsos, a market research firm, estimated that nearly 60% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure had been damaged or destroyed by hostilities.Sophie Tanno, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
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Soon afterward, the U.S. said the system would not be deployed to Ukraine, with deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh telling reporters that the war between Russia and Ukraine differed to hostilities in the Middle East.Michael D. Carroll AND Brendan Cole, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Everything about the movement surprised political observers: its virulence, its magnitude, its provincial origins, its apparent lack of structure and leadership, and its adamant refusal to be co-opted by existing political parties and unions.Arthur Goldhammer, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2018
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An ePPP is a pathogen that has been modified to enhance its transmissibility and virulence.Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near asperity
Cite this Entry
“Asperity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asperity. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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