1. to make rough or rougher in surface or texture
Usage: formal; rare
2. to make harsh, severe, or bitter
Usage: archaic; literary

Examples

• The sandpaper asperates the wooden surface.
• Years of hardship asperates one's temperament.
• The treatment asperates the skin, causing irritation.
• Constant criticism asperates relations between the neighbors.
• The rough coating asperates the finish of the metal.