(adj) harsh or corrosive in tone, Syn. vitriolic, sulfurous, acid, bitter, blistering, acerbic, virulent, caustic, acrid, sulphurous, Example:an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose; a barrage of acid comments; her acrid remarks make her many enemies; bitter words; blistering criticism; caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics; a sulfurous denunciation; a vitriolic critique

acerbate

(v) make sour or bitter

acerbity

(n) a sharp bitterness

acerbity

(n) a sharp sour taste, Syn. tartness

exacerbate

(v) exasperate or irritate, Syn. aggravate, exasperate

exacerbation

(n) violent and bitter exasperation, Example:his foolishness was followed by an exacerbation of their quarrel

aggravation

(n) action that makes a problem or a disease (or its symptoms) worse, Syn. exacerbation, Example:the aggravation of her condition resulted from lack of care

bitterness

(n) a rough and bitter manner, Syn. thorniness, acerbity, tartness, jaundice, acrimony

embitter

(v) cause to be bitter or resentful, Syn. envenom, acerbate, Example:These injustices embittered her even more

worsen

(v) make worse, Syn. exasperate, exacerbate, aggravate, Ant. better, Example:This drug aggravates the pain

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)

Acerb

a. [ L. acerbus, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. acerbe. See Acrid. ] Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acerbate

v. t. [ L. acerbatus, p. p. of acerbare, fr. acerbus. ] To sour; to imbitter; to irritate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acerbic

a. Sour or severe. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acerbitude

n. [ L. acerbitudo, fr. acerbus. ] Sourness and harshness. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acerbity

n. [ F. acerbité, L. acerbitas, fr. acerbus. See Acerb. ] 1. Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Harshness, bitterness, or severity; as, acerbity of temper, of language, of pain. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Exacerbate

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Exacerbated p. pr. & vb. n. Exacerbating ] [ L. exacerbatus, p. p. of exacerbare; ex out (intens.) + acerbare. See Acerbate. ] To render more violent or bitter; to irritate; to exasperate; to imbitter, as passions or disease. Brougham. [ 1913 Webster ]

exacerbating

adj. Making worse.
Syn. -- aggravating, exasperating. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Exacerbation

pos>n. [ Cf. F. exacerbation. ] 1. The act of rendering more violent or bitter; the state of being exacerbated or intensified in violence or malignity; as, exacerbation of passion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) A periodical increase of violence in a disease, as in remittent or continuous fever; an increased energy of diseased and painful action. [ 1913 Webster ]

Exacerbescence

n. [ L. exacerbescens, -entis, p. pr. of exacerbescere, incho. of exacerbare. ] Increase of irritation or violence, particularly the increase of a fever or disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

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