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exacerbate

 - 3 dictionary results

ex⋅ac⋅er⋅bate

  [ig-zas-er-beyt, ek-sas-]
–verb (used with object), -bat⋅ed, -bat⋅ing.
1. to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate.
2. to embitter the feelings of (a person); irritate; exasperate.
Use exacerbate in a Sentence
Origin:
1650–60; < L exacerbātus (ptp. of exacerbāre to exasperate, provoke), equiv. to ex- ex- 1 + acerbātus acerbate

Related forms:
ex⋅ac⋅er⋅bat⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
ex⋅ac⋅er⋅ba⋅tion, noun

Synonyms:
1. intensify, inflame, worsen.

Antonyms:
1. relieve, soothe, alleviate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To exacerbate
ex·ac·er·bate   (ĭg-zās'ər-bāt')   
tr.v.   ex·ac·er·bat·ed, ex·ac·er·bat·ing, ex·ac·er·bates
To increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate: a speech that exacerbated racial tensions; a heavy rainfall that exacerbated the flood problems.

[Latin exacerbāre, exacerbāt- : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + acerbāre, to make harsh (from acerbus, harsh; see ak- in Indo-European roots).]
ex·ac'er·ba'tion n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ex·ac·er·bate
Pronunciation: ig-'zas-&r-"bAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -bat·ed;-bat·ing
: to cause (a disease or its symptoms) to become more severe exacerbated by lack of care> —ex·ac·er·ba·tion /-"zas-&r-'bA-sh&n/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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