exacerbate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
exacerbates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exacerbated,
past participle, past
-
exacerbating
present participle
verb
-
to make (pain, disease, emotion, etc) more intense; aggravate
-
to exasperate or irritate (a person)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exacerbatesimple
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exacerbatessimple
-
have exacerbatedperfect
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has exacerbatedperfect
-
am exacerbatingprogressive
-
are exacerbatingprogressive
-
is exacerbatingprogressive
-
have been exacerbatingperfect progressive
-
has been exacerbatingperfect progressive
Past
-
exacerbatedsimple
-
had exacerbatedperfect
-
was exacerbatingprogressive
-
were exacerbatingprogressive
-
had been exacerbatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exacerbate
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin exacerbātus (past participle of exacerbāre “to exasperate, provoke”), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + acerbātus acerbate
Compare meaning
How does exacerbate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
For a formal-sounding verb that means to make worse, try exacerbate. If you're in trouble, complaining about it will only exacerbate the problem. Exacerbate is related to the adjective acrid, often used to describe sharp-smelling smoke. Think of exacerbate then as a sharp or bitter thing that makes something worse. A drought will exacerbate a country's food shortage. Worsen, intensify, aggravate and compound are similar, but exacerbate has the sense of an irritant being added in to make something bad even worse.
Vocabulary lists containing exacerbate
Grade 9, List 1
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Oil rose amid ongoing Middle East tensions that could exacerbate supply disruptions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“If this hurricane ends up causing refinery flooding, it would exacerbate an already tight market for refined products, further pushing up prices at the pump,” Molchanov told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
However, “if there are storms forecasted or a high tide coming up, that is when the Kelvin wave could exacerbate damages.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ryan said increases like this exacerbate an already serious cost of living crisis for students like him.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Zeitoun knew not to exacerbate the situation, and assumed that when they were interviewed by a superior, everything would be explained.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Homeowners’ prepayment options become more valuable, which exacerbates negative convexity for mortgage bonds.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
This in turn exacerbates dangers such as flooding.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
"That does nothing to resolve conflict; science shows it only exacerbates the conflict."
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Tech companies are borrowing money to fund the development of advanced A.I. systems, for instance, which exacerbates the bond sell-off because investors think A.I.-powered economic growth will keep interest rates higher for longer.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Greg thinks he helps on busy nights, but really, he only exacerbates the problem.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
The powerful surf exacerbated by the morning's high tide slammed into coastal communities, including Long Beach, where signficiant sections of the boardwalk crumbled under the pounding waves and several homes suffered serious structural damage.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
That exacerbated one of the leading obstacles to EV acceptance, so-called range anxiety, experienced when EV drivers doubt that chargers will be available for them on long trips, especially beyond urban areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The situation is exacerbated by wrestling’s employer-employee relationship.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
As several experts emphasize, the scam epidemic will only be exacerbated by artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
He exacerbated his trouble by creating a pseudonym, “Mary Rosh,” to defend his theory in online debates.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Experts such as Crehan argue it's unlikely to improve standards and may make the situation worse by exacerbating inconsistency across schools.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
That will weigh on household purchasing power "at a time when consumption is weakening and rising interest rates are exacerbating France's fiscal difficulties" they said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
"The strong El Niño is making the dry season drier over the fire-prone parts of the country and exacerbating burning -- just as we anticipated it would," he said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
The abnormally high overnight temperatures have been exacerbating the risk of heat stress and heat-related illness, said Sam Zuber, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
One of the fluorescent lights had started flickering halfway through class, exacerbating the pain, and Moss was eager to dart over to his locker and get his medication.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
