exacerbate

verb

ex·ac·er·bate | \ ig-ˈza-sər-ˌbāt

exacerbated; exacerbating

Definition of exacerbate

: to make more violent, bitter, or severe The new law only exacerbates the problem.

Other Words from exacerbate Synonyms & Antonyms Exacerbate vs. Exasperate Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about exacerbate

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Exacerbate vs. Exasperate

Exacerbate is frequently confused with exasperate, and with good reason. Not only do these words resemble one another in spelling and pronunciation, they also at one time held exceedingly similar meanings. Exasperate is today most commonly used as a synonym of annoy, but for several hundred years it also had the meanings “to make more grievous” and “to make harsh or harsher.” Exacerbate is now the more common choice of these two words when one seeks to indicate that something is becoming increasingly bitter, violent, or unpleasant. It comes in part from the Latin word acer, meaning “sharp,” whereas exasperate is from asper, the Latin word for “rough.”

Did You Know?

Make it a point to know that the Latin adjective acer, meaning "sharp," forms the basis of a number of words that have come into English. The words acerbic ("having a bitter temper or sour mood"), acrid ("having a sharp taste or odor"), and acrimony ("a harsh manner or disposition") are just the tip of the iceberg. First appearing in English in the 17th century, exacerbate derives from the Latin prefix ex-, which means "out of" or "outside," and acerbus, which means "harsh" or "bitter" and comes from acer. Just as pouring salt in a wound worsens pain, things that exacerbate can cause a situation to go from bad to worse. A pointed insult, for example, might exacerbate tensions between two rivals.

Examples of exacerbate in a Sentence

The declining retirement security faced by growing numbers of Americans is being exacerbated by increasing longevity and quickly rising health care costs. — Jeff Madrick, New York Review of Books, 20 Mar. 2008 … the sway that pack journalism holds on the Beltway press corps persists. The Crowd is never so influential as in the ever-lengthening season of presidential campaigns. The feverish obsessions of the blogosphere have only exacerbated the phenomenon: Now the herd just turns faster in pursuit of some ginned-up "controversy" or faux scandal. — Editor & Publisher, April 2007 The proposed factory shutdown would only exacerbate our unemployment problems. His angry comments have exacerbated tensions in the negotiation process.

Recent Examples on the Web

Receiving about 80% of its annual rainfall in two months, October and November, Chennai is naturally prone to droughts and floods, exacerbated in recent years by climate change. — Washington Post, "India’s Chennai rapid growth threatened by water shortages," 6 Aug. 2019 When people are not able to live authentically, that only exacerbates trauma. — Rosemary Donahue, Allure, "The Complicated Benefits of Coming Out," 5 Aug. 2019 There is no scientific question that climate change is currently exacerbating California fires. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: A chance to reduce wildfire disaster costs and save lives," 3 Aug. 2019 Williamson claims that by refusing to confront pain, people are hurting themselves and exacerbating their anxiety and depression. — Caroline Tew, EW.com, "A guide to presidential candidate Marianne Williamson's books, from mild to wild," 1 Aug. 2019 An El Niño weather pattern is exacerbating the dry weather. — Amy Gunia, Time, "Indonesia to Deploy Thousands of Security Personnel to Combat Haze-Causing Fires," 1 Aug. 2019 Per National Geographic’s Alejandra Borunda, Greenland’s mild, dry winter and spring exacerbated the effects of the prolonged heat wave, failing to balance out melting ice with fresh snowfall. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Greenland Lost 12.5 Billion Tons of Ice in a Single Day," 1 Aug. 2019 According to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, most of the $8.4 billion given out so far in last year’s farm bailout went to wealthy farmers, exacerbating the economic disparity with smaller farmers. — Laura Reiley, chicagotribune.com, "Trump’s $16 billion farm bailout is designed to help farmers hit in the trade war with China. But a report says it will make rich farmers richer.," 31 July 2019 Experts say the damage to the region has disrupted the local water system and exacerbated climate change. — David Yaffe-bellany, New York Times, "From Environmental Leader to ‘Worst Company in the World’," 29 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exacerbate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for exacerbate

exacerbate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of exacerbate

: to make (a bad situation, a problem, etc.) worse

See the full definition for exacerbate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

exacerbate

transitive verb

ex·ac·er·bate | \ ig-ˈzas-ər-ˌbāt

exacerbated; exacerbating

Medical Definition of exacerbate

: to cause (a disease or its symptoms) to become more severe her condition was exacerbated by lack of care

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exacerbate

Definition of exacerbate

Other Words from exacerbate

Synonyms & Antonyms for exacerbate

Exacerbate vs. Exasperate

Did You Know?

Examples of exacerbate in a Sentence

First Known Use of exacerbate

History and Etymology for exacerbate

English Language Learners Definition of exacerbate

Medical Definition of exacerbate

exacerbate

Definition of exacerbate

Other Words from exacerbate

Synonyms & Antonyms for exacerbate

Exacerbate vs. Exasperate

Did You Know?

Examples of exacerbate in a Sentence

First Known Use of exacerbate

History and Etymology for exacerbate

English Language Learners Definition of exacerbate

Medical Definition of exacerbate

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