Exacerbate

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ɪgˈzæsÉšbeɪt/

Origin

From Latin exacerbo ("to provoke"); ex ("out of; thoroughly") + acerbo ("to embitter, harshen or worsen").

Full definition of exacerbate

Verb

1. (transitive) To irritate.
2. (transitive) To make worse (pain, anger, etc.); aggravate.The proposed shutdown would exacerbate unemployment problems.
• 2013, Louise Taylor, English talent gets left behind as Premier League keeps importing (in The Guardian, 20 August 2013)http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/aug/19/english-talent-premier-league-importingThe reasons for this growing disconnect are myriad and complex but the situation is exacerbated by the reality that those English players who do smash through our game's "glass ceiling" command radically inflated transfer fees.

Derived terms

• exacerbatingly
• exacerbation