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exacerbated - 2 dictionary results

ex⋅ac⋅er⋅bate

  [ig-zas-er-beyt, ek-sas-]
Use exacerbated in a Sentence
–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.
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. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To exacerbated
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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