Exacerbate: Definition, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：make worse (exacerbate)

exacerbate 🔊

/ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt/

vt.

To make a bad situation, problem, or feeling worse.

Exacerbate meaning illustrated: a girl with a sore throat about to eat spicy chips, worsening her condition.

make worse 🔊

➕

/meɪk wɜːrs/

vt.

To cause a negative situation, condition, or feeling to become more severe, intense, or problematic.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'exacerbat-' (made harsh), from 'ex-' (thoroughly) + 'acerbus' (bitter, harsh).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'X-ACERB-ate'. ACERB is like 'acerbic' (sharp and bitter). So, to EXACERBATE is to make a situation more bitter/sharp/worse.

📖 Example

Eating ice cream might feel good at first, but it can exacerbate a sore throat and make your cough worse. 🔊 Eating ice cream might provide initial comfort, but it can worsen a sore throat and intensify your cough.

🔗 Collocations

exacerbate a problem – to make an existing issue more serious

exacerbate tension – to increase the level of strain or hostility

exacerbate symptoms – to make the signs of an illness more pronounced

🔄 Synonyms

aggravate (vt.) – To make a situation, injury, or offense worse or more serious.

worsen (v.) – To become or make something become more severe or of lower quality.

intensify (v.) – To increase in degree or strength, often of something negative.

🚫 Antonyms

alleviate (vt.) – To make a problem, pain, or burden less severe.

mitigate (vt.) – To make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad.

ameliorate (vt.) – To make a bad or unsatisfactory situation better.

🌱 Derivatives

exacerbation (n.) – The act or process of making something worse; a worsening.

exacerbating (adj.) – Causing a situation to become more severe or intense.

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from the Latin 'exacerbare', meaning 'to irritate' or 'to embitter'. In modern English, it's a formal word often used in contexts like medicine (exacerbating symptoms), economics (exacerbating a crisis), or politics (exacerbating tensions).