exacerbate — to make a bad situation, illness, or negative feeling worse or more severe
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make a bad situation, illness, or negative feeling worse or more severe
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt/
Example Sentences
- Don't mention his ex-girlfriend at the party - it will only exacerbate his bad mood!
- The CEO's attempt to calm investors by saying 'Don't panic!' only exacerbated their fears.
- Lack of sleep can exacerbate stress and make it harder to cope with daily challenges.
exacerbate
VERB[/ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt/]
to make a bad situation, illness, or negative feeling worse or more severe
Adding gasoline to the fire only exacerbates the blaze in the backyard.
EX(intensely) + ACERB(sour/bitter) + ATE(make) — aggressively squeezing the highly ACERB lemon into the spoiled milk managed to completely exacerbate the terrible taste.
Dropping the heavy 100kg iron weight onto the cracking wooden table instantly managed to exacerbate the structural damage.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'exacerbate,' derived from 'ex-' (out) and 'acerbus' (bitter, sour). The verb emerged in English in the 16th century through medical and general usage to describe making something worse or more severe.
Breakdown
ex- (out, intensify) + acerb (bitter, harsh) + -ate (verb suffix) = exacerbate
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Don't mention his ex-girlfriend at the party - it will only exacerbate his bad mood!”
“The CEO's attempt to calm investors by saying 'Don't panic!' only exacerbated their fears.”
“Lack of sleep can exacerbate stress and make it harder to cope with daily challenges.”
“The hot weather exacerbated the drought conditions across the region.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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