exacerbate

[ig-zas-er-beyt, ek-sas-]

verb (used with object)

exacerbated, exacerbating 

1. to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate.

   Synonyms: worsen, inflame, intensify, intensify
   Antonyms: alleviate, soothe, soothe, relieve

2. to embitter the feelings of (a person); irritate; exasperate.

exacerbate

/ ɪɡˈzæsəˌbeɪt, ɪkˈsæs- /

verb

1. to make (pain, disease, emotion, etc) more intense; aggravate

2. to exasperate or irritate (a person)

Other Word Forms

• exacerbatingly adverb
• exacerbation noun
• unexacerbating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exacerbate¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin exacerbātus (past participle of exacerbāre “to exasperate, provoke”), equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + acerbātus acerbate

Word History and Origins

Origin of exacerbate¹

C17: from Latin exacerbāre to irritate, from acerbus bitter

Example Sentences

But for a small minority of the hundreds of millions of people who use it daily, AI may be too supportive, mental health experts say, and can sometimes even exacerbate delusional and dangerous behavior.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“And catastrophic wildfires affecting communities in the wildland urban interface can be driven and exacerbated by extreme weather events.”

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His father has Brugada syndrome, a serious heart condition marked by abnormal rhythm that stressful situations can exacerbate.

Read more on Salon

“Choppy” consumer demand trends—exacerbated by concerns about inflation, the federal government shutdown, and a weakening labor market—could carry over from the third quarter.

Read more on Barron's

Job losses exacerbated a health care crisis that had been growing for decades.

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Related Words

• aggravate 
• annoy 
• heighten 
• inflame 
• intensify 
• irritate 
• provoke 
• worsen