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

A long-lasting demographic hit can exacerbate inflationary pressures over time and also reduce a country’s potential economic growth, Daco says.

From Barron's

Then the arrival of Storm Chandra on Tuesday exacerbated an already soggy situation prompting the Met Office to issue amber weather warnings, external.

From BBC

Both Olive and Pepin-Neff suggest that the best way to minimise risk is to be more conscious and wary of the factors that exacerbate the likelihood of a shark encounter.

From BBC

But a growing deficit, coupled with higher inflation, would exacerbate the affordability crisis.

From Barron's

A similar cold snap in 2021 disrupted oil and gas supplies, exacerbating a big rise in home heating demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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