SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
exacerbate
verb
To make an existing problem or undesirable condition worse.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Make a problem worse
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topExacerbate applies to an already undesirable condition; intensify can also describe a desirable effect.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The exacerbate family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
exacerbationnoun
A worsening of an existing problem or unpleasant condition.
Worsening
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
The abrupt cancellation caused an exacerbation of the tension between the groups.
An exacerbation of the existing backlog follows when the depot also stops sorting parcels for an entire week.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See exacerbate in use
Further delays would exacerbate the scheduling problem.
A rumor about hidden judging rules began to engender suspicion among members of a photography club. An organizer's sarcastic reply threatened to exacerbate the disagreement instead of answering it.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license