exacerbated

[ig-zas-er-bey-tid, ek-sas-]

adjective

1. made worse, more severe, or more bitter; aggravated.

   The Economic Policy Institute recently released a study showing evidence of an exacerbated income gap between rich and poor.

2. feeling or showing embitterment, irritation, or exasperation.

   With an exacerbated huff, the gunslinger hauled a second revolver from his shoulder, training its barrel on the captain.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of exacerbate.

Other Word Forms

• unexacerbated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exacerbated¹

exacerbate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

It has been exacerbated by a tropical storm in the region in recent days.

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McLaren team chief Andrea Stella explained that the disqualification of both cars, for excessive wear of the skid blocks, was a result of an unexpected level of "porpoising... exacerbated by the conditions" in Nevada.

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Its effects were exacerbated by the UC Board of Regents move in May 2020 to stop requiring the SAT in the name of making admissions more equitable and improving “educational quality.”

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“And catastrophic wildfires affecting communities in the wildland urban interface can be driven and exacerbated by extreme weather events.”

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“Choppy” consumer demand trends—exacerbated by concerns about inflation, the federal government shutdown, and a weakening labor market—could carry over from the third quarter.

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