Exacerbate Definition

ĭg-zăsər-bāt
exacerbated, exacerbates, exacerbating
verb
exacerbated, exacerbates, exacerbating
To make more intense or sharp; aggravate (disease, pain, annoyance, etc.)
Webster's New World
To increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate.
A speech that exacerbated racial tensions; a heavy rainfall that exacerbated the flood problems.
American Heritage
To exasperate; annoy; irritate; embitter.
Webster's New World

To make worse (pain, anger, etc.) worse; aggravate.

The proposed shutdown would exacerbate unemployment problems.
Wiktionary
Antonyms:

Origin of Exacerbate

  • Latin exacerbāre exacerbāt- ex- intensive pref. ex– acerbāre to make harsh (from acerbus harsh ak- in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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