exacerbate
Americanverb
-
to make (pain, disease, emotion, etc) more intense; aggravate
-
to exasperate or irritate (a person)
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
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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.
Alaska Air Group said higher fuel costs, which have climbed due to surging oil prices from the conflict in the Middle East, would exacerbate its first-quarter adjusted loss by a least 70 cents a share.
The lawmakers worry that the rush to build the facilities could “exacerbate” the same inhumane conditions at some ICE centers.
From Salon
The worst rout in Treasurys since April’s tariff chaos is exacerbating strain in financial markets, a stark demonstration of how war’s disruptions to oil flows are leaving investors with few places to shelter.
Social media, he told the courtroom, was like the baking powder that makes a cake rise, exacerbating the struggles of already vulnerable teens.
Some developing countries are more reticent about the moratorium because they see it as a loss of tax revenue and argue that the rapid pace of digital transformation only exacerbates the problem.
From Barron's
Definitions 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.
