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.
—
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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While there are arguments that business cycle fluctuations and downturns can carry silver linings for some individuals or economic outcomes, these events come at the cost of others’ pain and hardship, Schwandt said.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Borrowers have already faced enough confusion and hardship.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Underlying these advances are robust AI infrastructures, such as Stargate and the AI RAN Alliance, which enhance edge computing capabilities.—
Cathy Hackl,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
In addition, the Pentagon's future stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, will have many of the same cutting edge technologies in advanced materials, AI, propulsion and stealth.—
TARA COPP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On bridging the divide, Michel stressed the importance of recognizing the severity of the crisis, and engaging in productive dialogue.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2025
-
While San Diego County saw a decrease in acres under the highest severity rating, areas including Los Angeles County, still reeling from the Eaton and Palisades fires, saw increases of 30%.—
Christian Martinez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Each of the four categories is labeled with a color, which also signifies their difficulty level.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
-
But the scientists had difficulty following the animals through the island’s dense forests, and the surveys were limited to only certain parts of Mauritius.—
ByRefael Kubersky,
science.org,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The fight ends with Shauna taking a bite out of Melissa’s arm, pinning her down and demanding Melissa eat her own flesh.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
-
On Saturday, March 29, the northeastern United States and Canada will witness a partial solar eclipse in the early hours of the day, according to Space.com, presenting a spectacle that will look as if the moon took a bite out of the sun.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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America’s first Black female doctor also faced open hostility from the white medical establishment.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Despite frequent instances of both sides accusing one another of violating the truce, the elusive breakthrough led to the longest cessation of hostilities since the war began, as well as the release of 33 Israelis from Hamas captivity and nearly 2,000 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Asperity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asperity. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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