exacerbate

verb ex·ac·er·bate \ ig-ˈza-sər-ˌbāt \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of exacerbate

exacerbated; exacerbating

transitive verb

: to make more violent, bitter, or severe

The new law only exacerbates the problem.

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exacerbation

play \ig-ˌza-sər-ˈbā-shən\ noun

See exacerbate defined for English-language learners

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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 of exacerbate from the Web

Due to emotional stress, exacerbated by the anniversary of Anna’s disappearance, her parents declined a request for a phone interview but corresponded via email.

— erin mccarthy, Philly.com, "A Malvern mother vanished. A year later, it's a murder investigation. So why haven't you heard of her?," 30 Mar. 2018
That's because his instinct to attack has already significantly exacerbated his legal exposure on the Zervos case -- on which the statue of limitations had passed.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Interview on alleged affair tests Trump's vow of silence," 23 Mar. 2018
In other business, the council approved two emergency storm sewer repairs and an emergency sanitary sewer extension, all of which were caused or exacerbated by the melting snow and heavy rains in February, Konopasek said.

— michelle l. quinn, Post-Tribune, "Avenue or street? Griffith resident questions change in new sign," 23 Mar. 2018
The president himself has exacerbated the tensions between his chief of staff and his family.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "9 Things Ivanka Trump Would Like Us to Know," 12 Mar. 2018
The president himself has exacerbated the tensions between his chief of staff and his family.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "'Where is Ivanka?' First daughter seeks control in dual role as White House adviser," 12 Mar. 2018
Spencer's events have exacerbated the same raw tensions that have led to clashes between far-left and far-right extremists at other events across the country.

— susan svrluga, chicagotribune.com, "'Antifa is winning': Richard Spencer rethinks his college tour after violent protests," 12 Mar. 2018
The president himself has exacerbated the tensions between his chief of staff and his family.

— author: ashley parker, philip rucker, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Where is Ivanka?’ First daughter seeks control in dual role as White House aide," 12 Mar. 2018
Inflation last year surpassed 2,600 percent, according to opposition lawmakers, which has exacerbated severe shortages of food and medicine.

— joe parkin daniels, New York Times, "In Colombia Border Town, Desperate Venezuelans Sell Hair to Survive," 17 Feb. 2018

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.

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.