English Meaning & Definitions
To make a bad situation, problem, or negative feeling worse.
- “Pollution can exacerbate respiratory problems like asthma.”
- “The new taxes will only exacerbate the financial difficulties of small businesses.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “exacerbate”.
Derived from the Latin 'exacerbat-', meaning 'provoked or made bitter', from the verb 'exacerbare', formed from 'ex-' (out, thoroughly) plus 'acerbus' (harsh, bitter).
Think of 'ex' (former partner) + 'acer' (sharp laptop) + 'bate' (argue) — arguing with an ex over a sharp laptop will only make the situation worse.
Frequently Asked Questions About “exacerbate”
1. What is the meaning of “exacerbate” in English?
In English, exacerbate (verb) is defined as: “To make a bad situation, problem, or negative feeling worse.”.
2. How do you use “exacerbate” in a sentence?
“Pollution can exacerbate respiratory problems like asthma.”
3. What are English synonyms of “exacerbate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “exacerbate”?
Derived from the Latin 'exacerbat-', meaning 'provoked or made bitter', from the verb 'exacerbare', formed from 'ex-' (out, thoroughly) plus 'acerbus' (harsh, bitter).
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.