exacerbated

American  

[ig-zas-er-bey-tid, ek-sas-] / ɪgˈzæs ərˌbeɪ tɪd, ɛkˈsæs- /

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

Derived Forms

• unexacerbated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of exacerbated

exacerbate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

On top of that, there are the inevitable disasters, be they earthquake, fire or flood, the latter quite possibly exacerbated this winter by what may be an epic El Niño.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

This has been exacerbated by the woes in the commercial property market, which was hit by the shift to working from home since lockdowns were introduced, and rising interest rates.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

The damp conditions under the floodlights exacerbated the difficulty of batting on a surface that has been uneven for most of this match.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Treasurys continued their ascent, as markets fret about how countries manage a growing pile of government debt exacerbated by the war and the pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Losing my dad exacerbated my sense that there was no time to sit around and ponder how my life should go.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama