exacerbate

American  

[ig-zas-er-beyt, ek-sas-] / ɪgˈzæs ərˌbeɪt, ɛkˈsæs- /

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.

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exacerbate British  

/ ɪɡˈzæsəˌbeɪt, ɪkˈsæs- /

verb

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

2. to exasperate or irritate (a person)

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Other Word Forms

• exacerbatingly adverb
• exacerbation noun
• unexacerbating adjective

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:

• exasperate vs. exacerbate

Example Sentences

Levy: With every character, at the beginning of this show, I’m thinking, how can we exacerbate the dire circumstances that crime would rub up against?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

“Placing thousands of people in warehouses that were never intended to house human beings will only exacerbate these problems,” the letter reads.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

President Aoun, a former army chief, had ruled out using force, warning that this could exacerbate sectarian divisions and lead to violence.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

But scarier things like what has happened to Guthrie exacerbate this push and pull, Clare Ansberry writes in her piece this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 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

Related Words

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