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.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• unexacerbated adjective

Etymology

Origin of exacerbated

exacerbate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

France’s upcoming 10.5 billion-12.5 billion euros auction of long-dated government bonds likely exacerbated selling in French bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

“Healthy Florida First’s lack of response for more details further exacerbated the misinformation.”

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Attacks on energy facilities, including Iran’s South Pars gas field and Qatar’s Ras Laffan site, have exacerbated and accelerated the divergence in the past 24 hours.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

The problem, she said, was exacerbated by inflation and currency fluctuations.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

It seems to have spread as a kind of infectious disease exacerbated by the strains of ambition, affluence, family disintegration, and loneliness.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden