exacerbate

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

/ ɪgˈzæs ərˌbeɪt, ɛkˈsæs- /

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See synonyms for: exacerbate / exacerbated / exacerbates / exacerbating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ex·ac·er·bat·ed, ex·ac·er·bat·ing.

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

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

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OTHER WORDS FOR exacerbate

1 intensify, inflame, worsen.

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OPPOSITES FOR exacerbate

1 relieve, soothe, alleviate.

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM exacerbate

ex·ac·er·bat·ing·ly, adverbex·ac·er·ba·tion

[ig-zas-er-bey-shuhn, ek-sas-], /ɪgˌzæs ərˈbeɪ ʃən, ɛkˌsæs-/, nounun·ex·ac·er·bat·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH exacerbate

exacerbate , exasperate

Words nearby exacerbate

Ewing's tumor, EWO, ex, exa-, exabyte, exacerbate, exacerbated, exacerbation, exact, exacta, exact differential

How to use exacerbate in a sentence

Gelfond is a procrastinator, a tendency that virtual school has exacerbated.
The loneliness of an interrupted adolescence|Ellen McCarthy|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Air pollution, warned a group of top cardiological health organizations, also was exacerbating the risk of covid deaths.
The virus caused more than a pandemic. It set us all ablaze.|Philip Kennicott|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
In his State of the City address last month, Gloria said the pandemic had “exacerbated longstanding city budget problems the last administration did too little to address” and that the city faced structural budget deficits.
Morning Report: About That Structural Budget Deficit|Voice of San Diego|February 4, 2021|Voice of San Diego
“The pandemic has exacerbated all of the city’s budget problems,” Gloria said.
Gloria Eagerly Flagged Budget Issues But Is Less Eager to ID Solutions|Lisa Halverstadt|February 4, 2021|Voice of San Diego

With that said, if we don’t assess where our students are and their level of performance, it will be difficult for us to provide some targeted support in our resource allocation that can best support the closing of gaps that have been exacerbated.
Five key moments from education secretary nominee Miguel Cardona’s confirmation hearing|Valerie Strauss|February 3, 2021|Washington Post
They wind up on the streets or in jail, environments that will exacerbate their problems.
Government Has Failed the Mentally Ill|Monica Potts|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And a coup probably would exacerbate the economic problems that months of friction, violence and impasse have wrought.
Thailand’s Non-Coup Coup|Lennox Samuels|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They can exacerbate splits within a ruling leadership, foment popular unrest, or expedite a dwindling current account.
Why Aren’t Sanctions Stopping Putin?|Meghan L. O’Sullivan|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But instead of taking my edge off, all the wine did was exacerbate my starvation-induced headache.
We Were Gwyneth’s GOOP Guinea Pigs|Erin Cunningham, Olivia Nuzzi|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said the administration would only approve the project if it “does not significantly exacerbate the climate problem.”
Keystone Report May Allow Obama To Make Debt Limit Deal|Ben Jacobs|February 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The negro's competition for jobs and homes will probably exacerbate relations.
Negro Migration during the War|Emmett J. Scott
To remove all things which may alarm, torment, or exacerbate?
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)|Thomas Hart Benton
It's not for you, and you do but exacerbate the frightful pain there's been in feeling it with them.
This Freedom|A. S. M. Hutchinson
Any foreign intervention serves only to exacerbate the situation by increasing the number and intensity of inter-ethnic grudges.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin

British Dictionary definitions for exacerbate

exacerbate

/ (ɪɡˈzæsəˌbeɪt, ɪkˈsæs-) /

verb (tr)

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

to exasperate or irritate (a person)

Derived forms of exacerbate

exacerbation, noun

Word Origin for exacerbate

C17: from Latin exacerbāre to irritate, from acerbus bitter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

exacerbate

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OTHER WORDS FOR exacerbate

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Origin of exacerbate

OTHER WORDS FROM exacerbate

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How to use exacerbate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for exacerbate

Derived forms of exacerbate

Word Origin for exacerbate