asperity

noun
UK: /æˈsper.ə.ti/
US: /æˈsper.ə.t̬i/

  1. The roughness or harshness of a surface or sound.

    1. The asperity of the rock scraped my knee when I fell. [ ] [ ]
    2. The speaker's voice had a certain asperity that made it unpleasant to listen to, especially at high volumes. [ ] [ ]

  2. Harshness or sharpness of temper, especially in speech.

    1. He spoke with asperity, clearly annoyed by the question. [ ] [ ]
    2. There was an asperity in her tone that suggested she was not in a mood to forgive quickly due to the argument. [ ] [ ]

  3. Difficulty or hardship in conditions of life.

    1. They faced the asperities of the arctic winter with courage. [ ] [ ]
    2. The family had to endure the asperities of poverty after losing their jobs, facing cold and hunger. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

severity difficulty acrimony rigor

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "asperity" in English means: The roughness or harshness of a surface or sound., Harshness or sharpness of temper, especially in speech., Difficulty or hardship in conditions of life..

The phonetic transcription of "asperity" is /æˈsper.ə.ti/ in British English and /æˈsper.ə.t̬i/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "asperity": severity, difficulty, acrimony, rigor.

Example usage of "asperity": "The asperity of the rock scraped my knee when I fell.". More examples on the page.