French word

aspérité

Pronunciation

IPA/aspeʁite/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbump

Example

La route a des aspérités.

The road has bumps.

Illustration for aspérité (bump)

More examples

J'ai senti une aspérité sur mon avant-bras.

I felt a rough spot on my forearm.

Core concept

A surface carries little bumps and rough patches that interrupt a continuous movement or progression.

Common phrases

  • les aspérités de la route

    the bumps in the road

  • une aspérité sur la peau

    a rough spot on the skin

Similar words

bosse: A rounded projection that sticks out from a surface.
creux: A hollow or depression set below the surrounding surface.
irrégularité: A lack of uniformity that makes a surface uneven in places.
défaut: A fault that detracts from an object's appearance or performance.

Definition in French

Caractéristique d'une surface irrégulière ou rugueuse ; au sens figuré, une légère friction ou un obstacle ponctuel dans un processus.

Word origin

Aspérité is a French noun inherited from Latin asperitas through earlier French, with its sense extending from physical roughness to figurative obstacles.

Usage tips

  • In figurative language, lisser les aspérités means to smooth out points of friction in an arrangement, discussion, or text.

Other meanings

  • roughnessnoun
  • irregularitynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word