acerbate

A1C3E1R1B3A1T1E1
UK/ˈa.sə.beɪt/US/ˈæ.səɹˌbeɪt/

adjective

Embittered; having a sour disposition or nature.

Similar
provokesourembitterenvenom
OriginLatin acerbātus →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

adjectiveacerbate (comparative more acerbate, superlative most acerbate)

comparative more acerbate · superlative most acerbate

  1. rareEmbittered; having a sour disposition or nature.
verbacerbate (third-person singular simple present acerbates, present participle acerbating, simple past and past participle acerbated)

present singular third person acerbates · participle present acerbating · participle past acerbated · past acerbated

  1. transitiveTo exasperate; to irritate.

    Lady Laura had triumphed; but she had no desire to acerbate her husband by any unpalatable allusion to her victory.

    1869, Anthony Trollope, chapter 51, in Phineas Finn

    Synonyms: provoke

  2. transitiveTo make bitter or sour.

    Synonyms: sour, embitter

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo exasperate; to irritate.

Similar
provoke

verbTo make bitter or sour.

Similar
sourembitter

More synonyms by meaning

verbcause to be bitter or resentful

Similar
embitterenvenom
Broader
depressdejectcast down
Also see
aggravateannoyantagonizebedevilboil someone's pissbotheratechap someone's hidedevilembitterenvenomexasperatefrustrateget on someone's nervesget on someone's titsget on someone's wickget under someone's goatgive someone the shitsgrind one's gearsharsh one's mellowhassleirritatemolestmommicknarkpee offpeevepiqueprovokeraise someone's hacklesrile uprub someone the wrong wayruffle someone's feathersstormtest someone's patiencetick offtroublevex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinacerbātus
  2. Englishacerbate

From Latin acerbātus, perfect passive participle of acerbō (“make bitter”), from acerbus (“bitter”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian дразня, ядосвам
  • дразня (draznja)exasperate
  • ядосвам (jadosvam)exasperate
Czech rozhořčit, popudit
  • rozhořčitexasperate
  • popuditexasperate
Finnish ärsyttää, suututtaa
  • ärsyttääexasperate
  • suututtaaexasperate
  • katkeroittaato make bitter or sour
Hungarian elkeserít
  • elkeserítexasperate
Latin acerbō
  • acerbōexasperate
Polish wkurzać, wkurzyć
  • wkurzaćexasperate
  • wkurzyćexasperate
  • irytowaćexasperate
  • zirytowaćexasperate
  • napełniać gorycząto make bitter or sour
  • napełnić gorycząto make bitter or sour
Portuguese acerbar
  • acerbarto make bitter or sour
Cite this entry
APA

acerbate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acerbate

MLA

“acerbate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acerbate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acerbate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acerbate.

Source: acerbate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.