Exacerbate

Pronunciation: /ɪɡˈzæsərˌbeɪt/

Definitions of exacerbate

verb to make a problem or situation worse

Example Sentences

A1 Not getting enough sleep can exacerbate feelings of tiredness.

A2 Skipping meals can exacerbate feelings of hunger and weakness.

B1 Adding fuel to the fire will only exacerbate the situation.

B2 The lack of communication between the two departments only served to exacerbate the existing tensions.

C1 The government's failure to address the issue has only exacerbated the problem.

C2 The company's decision to cut costs ended up exacerbating the financial difficulties they were already facing.

Examples of exacerbate in a Sentence

formal The economic downturn is likely to exacerbate the already existing social inequalities.

informal Skipping meals will only exacerbate your hunger.

slang His constant nagging just exacerbates the situation.

figurative Adding fuel to the fire will only exacerbate the conflict.

Grammatical Forms of exacerbate

• past tense: exacerbated
• plural: exacerbates
• comparative: more exacerbated
• superlative: most exacerbated
• present tense: exacerbate
• future tense: will exacerbate
• perfect tense: has exacerbated
• continuous tense: is exacerbating
• singular: exacerbate
• positive degree: exacerbate
• infinitive: exacerbate
• gerund: exacerbating
• participle: exacerbating

Origin and Evolution of exacerbate

First Known Use: 1660 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'exacerbate' originated from the Latin word 'exacerbare', which means 'to provoke or irritate'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'exacerbate' has come to mean 'to make a problem or situation worse'. The word has evolved to emphasize the idea of worsening a situation rather than just provoking or irritating.