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exacerbate

[ɪɡˈzæs.ə.beɪt]

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

Antonyms for exacerbate

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'

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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.'