acerbate

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

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈa.sə.beɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæ.səɹˌbeɪt/, ASS-uhr-bait

acerbate (comparative more acerbate, superlative most acerbate)

1. (rare) Embittered; having a sour disposition or nature.

acerbate (third-person singular simple present acerbates, present participle acerbating, simple past and past participle acerbated)

1. (transitive) To exasperate; to irritate.
   • 1869, Anthony Trollope, chapter 51, in Phineas Finn:

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

2. (transitive) To make bitter or sour.

• (exasperate): provoke
• (make bitter): sour, embitter

• acerbation
• exacerbate

• “acerbate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /a.kerˈbaː.te/, [äkɛrˈbäːt̪ɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /a.t͡ʃerˈba.te/, [ät͡ʃerˈbäːt̪e]

acerbāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of acerbō