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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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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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use exacerbate in a sentence

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
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