exacerbate
verb (used with object)
to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate.
exacerbating
-
present participleof exacerbate.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
The series of radical reforms, including scaling back jury trials, were presented as the best way of turning around record backlogs which, in turn, were exacerbating the prison population crisis.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The squeeze is depriving Tehran of its main source of foreign currency, exacerbating the economic crisis as the value of the Iranian rial plunges and inflation runs at more than 80% year-over-year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 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
Scientists broadly agree that the globalized weather impacts of El Nino stack on top of climate change -- exacerbating rainfall in some places, drought and heat in others.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
If he jumped off now, Seabiscuit, obedient to equine instinct to flee pain, would probably tear over the track, exacerbating his injury.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
