What does "asperity" mean?
The quality of having a rough or uneven surface; roughness, unevenness; (countable, chiefly in the plural) a protruding or rough area or point on a surface; a protrusion.
Asperity
/əˈspɛɹɪti/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The quality of having a rough or uneven surface; roughness, unevenness; (countable, chiefly in the plural) a protruding or rough area or point on a surface; a protrusion.
- Grammar: asperity is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: hardship, rigor, severity, acerbity.
- Useful contrasts: benign climate, evenness, gentleness.
- Usage evidence: "Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery, Mr. Holmes?" she asked, with a touch of asperity in her voice.
How to use "asperity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "asperity" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "asperity" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "asperity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "asperity" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "asperity" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "hardship" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The quality of having a rough or uneven surface; roughness, unevenness; (countable, chiefly in the plural) a protruding or rough area or point on a surface; a protrusion. formal, uncountable
"Oyle of ſwete Almondes and of ſiſami taketh away the aſperitie and rougheneſſe of the throte."
- 2 harshness of manner wordnet
- 3 The quality of having a rough or uneven surface; roughness, unevenness; (countable, chiefly in the plural) a protruding or rough area or point on a surface; a protrusion.; A section of a fault line with high friction, such that there is no movement along this part of the fault except during an earthquake. countable, formal
"We inferred that the locking of asperities did cause higher stresses associated with earthquake cycle itself to occur in areas adjacent to asperities, both updip and downdip from them, and that such stressing has been much less pronounced in the areas adjacent to non-asperities."
- 4 something hard to endure wordnet
- 5 The quality of being difficult or unpleasant to experience; (countable) a thing that is harsh and difficult to endure; a difficulty, a hardship. figuratively, formal, uncountable
"the asperity of Maine’s winter"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The quality of being harsh or severe in the way one behaves or speaks toward another person; (countable, chiefly in the plural) a deeply hostile or resentful feeling; an animosity, a hatred. figuratively, formal, uncountable
"But leaſt he ſhoulde offend the Iewes with the aſperitie of the word, if hee had ſaid that the lawe was dead, hee vſed a digreſſion, or deflection, ſaying, we are dead to the law."
- 7 Of sound: gratingness, harshness. archaic, countable, figuratively, formal, uncountable
"[T]he importunate, harſh and diſharmonious Coaxations of Frogs, (ſo called in the Greek from that very ungratefull noiſe, […] from the ſhrilneſs and aſperity of the noiſe they make) […]"
- 8 Of taste: harshness or sharpness; acridity, tartness. archaic, countable, figuratively, formal, uncountable
"[T]he aſperity of tartarous ſalts, and the fiery acrimony of alcaline ſalts, irritating and vvounding the nerves, produce naſcent paſſions and anxieties in the ſoul; vvhich both aggravate diſtempers, and render men's lives reſtleſs and vvretched, even vvhen they are afflicted vvith no apparent diſtemper."
- 9 Of writing: a lack of elegance and refinement; inelegance, roughness. archaic, countable, figuratively, formal, uncountable
Antonyms
Example
""Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery, Mr. Holmes?" she asked, with a touch of asperity in her voice."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "asperity"?
Common synonyms include: hardship, rigor, severity, acerbity, acerbity, acid.
How do you use "asperity" in a sentence?
"Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery, Mr. Holmes?" she asked, with a touch of asperity in her voice.
How do you pronounce "asperity"?
Pronounced /əˈspɛɹɪti/.
Etymology
From Middle English asprete, asperite, from Old French aspreté (modern French âpreté), from Latin asperitātem, the accusative singular of asperitās (“roughness, unevenness; fierceness, severity; harshness, sharpness; acidity, tartness”), from asper (“coarse, rough, uneven; bitter, fierce harsh; rude, unrefined; etc.”) (probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₂esp- (“to cut”)) + -itās (a variant of -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns indicating a state of being)). The spelling of the English word is influenced directly by Latin asperitātem. Doublet of asperitas.