Definitions
- Referring to making a problem or situation worse. - Describing the act of irritating or annoying someone. - Talking about making a medical condition more severe.
- Referring to making a problem or situation worse, especially a pre-existing one. - Describing the act of making a medical condition more severe. - Talking about worsening a conflict or tension between people or groups.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words refer to making something worse.
- 2Both words can be used in medical contexts.
- 3Both words can be used to describe worsening a situation.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Aggravate is more commonly used in everyday language than exacerbate.
- 2Severity: Exacerbate implies a more serious or severe worsening of a situation or condition than aggravate.
- 3Context: Aggravate can be used in a wider range of contexts than exacerbate, which is often used in specific fields such as medicine or conflict resolution.
- 4Cause: Aggravate can be used to describe making a situation worse through irritation or annoyance, while exacerbate typically refers to making a situation worse through a specific cause or factor.
- 5Connotation: Exacerbate has a more formal and technical connotation than aggravate, which can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
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Remember this!
Aggravate and exacerbate are synonyms that both refer to making a situation or condition worse. However, exacerbate implies a more severe worsening of a situation or condition than aggravate. Additionally, aggravate can be used in a wider range of contexts and has a less formal connotation than exacerbate.
