The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ACERBITY
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
C
E
R
B
I
T
Y
More clues leading to the result ACERBITY
- Sharpness was effective cutting very fine line
- One really gutted about taste — that's sourness
- Get bitterness from maple by squeezing it
- Bitterness of a tribe lost in deserted city
- Endless bacteria about with unknown virulence
- Painfully beat — I cry with bitterness
- Chip getting in line after master’s vitriolic speech
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "bitterness" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case bitterness = acerbity.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ACERBITY mean?
ACERBITY noun- Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit.
- Harshness, bitterness, or severity