exacerbate
Definitions
To make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
使（问题、坏局面或不良情绪）恶化、加剧、加重。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedex- (here intensive, 'thoroughly') + acerb (bitter) + -ate (to make) = 'to make thoroughly bitter.' The taste meaning faded entirely, leaving the figurative one: to make a bad situation even more bitter — that is, worse.
Root acerb still carries 3 more wordsWhy It Means This
Exacerbate carries a built-in negative. You can only exacerbate something already bad — tensions, injuries, conflicts, shortages. You never exacerbate happiness or success. If the object isn't a problem, the word is wrong.
Usage Guide
Pronunciation trap: the second syllable is /z/, not /s/ — /ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt/ (eg-ZASS-er-bate). It's a formal word, common in news, essays, and academic writing; in casual speech 'make worse' is more natural.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Cutting the budget will only exacerbate the staffing shortage.
- 2.
Stress can exacerbate many existing health problems.
- 3.
His angry reply exacerbated an already tense situation.
Easily Confused
exacerbate vs aggravate — Both mean 'make worse,' and are interchangeable for problems. But aggravate has a second everyday sense, 'to annoy' (you're aggravating me), which exacerbate never has. Exacerbate is also more formal.
Synonym Comparison
- exacerbate — formal; make an existing bad thing worse
- aggravate — same sense, plus informal 'to annoy'
- worsen — plain and neutral; the everyday equivalent
- intensify — make stronger, not necessarily worse
- compound — add a new problem on top of an existing one