exacerbate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to make (pain, disease, emotion, etc) more intense; aggravate
-
to exasperate or irritate (a person)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has exacerbatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have exacerbatedperfect
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is exacerbatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been exacerbatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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exacerbatingparticiple
-
have been exacerbatingperfect progressive
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am exacerbatingprogressive 1st person singular
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are exacerbatingprogressive
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exacerbatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had exacerbatedperfect
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were exacerbatingprogressive plural
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exacerbatedsimple
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was exacerbatingprogressive singular
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had been exacerbatingperfect progressive
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exacerbatedparticiple
Future
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:
Explanation
For a formal-sounding verb that means to make worse, try exacerbate. If you're in trouble, complaining about it will only exacerbate the problem. Exacerbate is related to the adjective acrid, often used to describe sharp-smelling smoke. Think of exacerbate then as a sharp or bitter thing that makes something worse. A drought will exacerbate a country's food shortage. Worsen, intensify, aggravate and compound are similar, but exacerbate has the sense of an irritant being added in to make something bad even worse.
Vocabulary lists containing exacerbate
Grade 9, List 1
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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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.
The impact of higher gas prices fell hardest on lower-income Americans, threatening to further exacerbate inequities among income groups.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
The pressures that wildfires exert on survivors are not always direct — housing instability, the loss of employment and the breakdown of social networks and sense of community all exacerbate the crisis.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Professor McDonald said although revising the NAP regulations posed "a challenge" for the Daera minister and the executive, failure to do so would only exacerbate the challenges faced by the next generation of farmers.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
That could lead investors to have less trust in market prices, which in turn “could make the market less efficient and exacerbate volatility in prices.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 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
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.
