Acerbate
/ˈæs.ər.beɪt/noun
To make something worse, more bitter, or more severe.
Did you know?Acerbate comes from Latin *acerbus*, meaning “bitter” or “harsh,” a root tied to the idea of sharp, biting intensity rather than any mystical spell.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eḱ-
“sharp, pointed”
Latin
Latin
acer
“sharp, keen, pungent”
Latin
Latin
acerbus
“harsh, bitter, unripe”
Late Latin
Latin
acerbāre
“to make bitter or harsh”
Middle English
English
acerbate
“to embitter or make more severe”
Modern English
English
acerbate
“to make worse, more bitter, or more severe”