exacerbate
pronunciation
How to pronounce exacerbate in British English:
UK [ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt]
How to pronounce exacerbate in American English:
US [ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt]
-
- Verb:
- make worse
- exasperate or irritate
Word Origin
- exacerbate (v.)
- 1650s, a back-formation from exacerbation or else from Latin exacerbatus, past participle of exacerbare "irritate, provoke." Related: Exacerbated; exacerbating.
Example
- 1. They could even exacerbate some flaws in the economy .
- 2. But all that currency intervention can exacerbate inflation .
- 3. So how could mental-health problems actually exacerbate acne ?
- 4. Recent profit reports threaten to exacerbate the issue .
- 5. He said failure to act would exacerbate the recession .