1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
doesn't like the asperity of most experimental music
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
He overcame 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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This work is also a tribute to the rich and inspiring story of the Black church in America—a story laden with hope and hardship.—
AudioFile Magazine
July 31,
Literary Hub,
31 July 2025
-
Thrift stores offer affordable options for consumers, especially during economic hardship, and contribute to community support through donations and job creation.—
Molly Gregory,
The Courier-Journal,
30 July 2025
Noun
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There, leaning against the edge of his desk, dressed in his trademark grey suit, is the first-ever Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Pearl Cove Beach Club Located at the western edge of Celebration Key, Pearl Cove offers an exclusive experience for an additional cost.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Noun
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While relapse of multiple myeloma is regarded as inevitable, the timing and severity vary widely.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
14 July 2025
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But in the meantime, relatives could only guess the severity of the injury by observing the facial expressions of Nuggets personnel.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
Noun
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Asked about the issue, administrators cited budget constraints and a difficulty hiring teachers.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
31 July 2025
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Her son has Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, and Hoffer has had difficulty finding a private school that could serve her son.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
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In his college days, Quintero would frequent La Jolla Village and The Shores, usually to grab a bite to eat or visit Warwick’s bookstore.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 July 2025
-
Grace Mills, 18 of Valparaiso, battled Lyme disease and knows all too well the effects of a tick bite.—
Deena Butterfield,
Chicago Tribune,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Without an end to hostilities, no humanitarian corridor can function safely, Palestinian civilians cannot be reached at scale and the hostages will not return home.—
David Miliband,
Time,
29 July 2025
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On Sunday Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for a swift end to hostilities.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Despite that virulence, some forms of plague did ultimately die out.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
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While VUMs require more testing to establish their true risks to public health, VOIs are explicitly confirmed to have genetic changes that affect virus characteristics like transmissibility and virulence.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
9 June 2025
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 4 Aug. 2025.
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