Latin

Adjective

acerbus m ‎(feminine acerba, neuter acerbum); first/second declension

1. (of taste) harsh, bitter, unripe
2. (of a person) rough, violent, severe, grievous
3. oppressive

Inflection

First/second declension.

• comparative: acerbior, superlative: acerbissimus

Related terms

• ācer
• acerbē
• acerbitās
• acerbō

Descendants

References

• acerbus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• acerbus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “acerbus”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to cause any one very acute pain: acerbum dolorem alicui inurere
    
  • (ambiguous) he has had many painful experiences: multa acerba expertus est
    
  • (ambiguous) to demand payment: pecuniam exigere (acerbe)
    
  • (ambiguous) to exact the taxes (with severity): vectigalia exigere (acerbe)