exacerbate Definition
- 1to make a bad situation worse
- 2to make a disease or medical condition worse
Using exacerbate: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "exacerbate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The hot weather exacerbated her asthma.
Example
His comments only exacerbated the tension in the room.
Example
The government's policies have exacerbated the problem of homelessness.
Example
The conflict was exacerbated by the lack of communication between the two sides.
exacerbate Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with exacerbate
exacerbate a problem/situation
to make a problem or situation worse
Example
The company's financial troubles were exacerbated by the pandemic.
exacerbate an injury/condition
to make an injury or medical condition worse
Example
He was advised not to play football as it could exacerbate his knee injury.
exacerbate tensions/conflict
to make tensions or conflict worse
Example
The president's speech only served to exacerbate tensions between the two countries.
Origins of exacerbate
from Latin 'exacerbatus', past participle of 'exacerbo', meaning 'irritate, provoke, exasperate'
Summary: exacerbate in Brief
The verb 'exacerbate' [ɪɡˈzæs.ə.beɪt] means to make a bad situation or medical condition worse. It is often used to describe how one thing can intensify another, such as 'The hot weather exacerbated her asthma.' 'Exacerbate' can also be used to describe how someone's actions can make a situation worse, as in 'His comments only exacerbated the tension in the room.'
