asperity

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2010 is: asperity • \uh-SPAIR-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : roughness 2 : harshness of manner or of temper Examples: When asked to make a contribution, Roger glared and said with asperity, "I gave at the office." Did you know? "Asperity" has had a rough history. It came to Modern English through Middle English (where it was spelled "asprete") by way of the Anglo-French ("asprete"), and ultimately derives from the Latin word "asper," which means "rough." Not only is "asper" the source of "asperity," but it also underlies the English word "exasperate" (in fact, you can see "asper" nestled in the midst of that word). Although it is far less common than "asperity" and "exasperate," the word "asper" itself is still occasionally used in English, too -- it functions as a synonym of "harsh," "bitter," or "stern." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.