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to exacerbating

to exacerbating

7.5
To make a problem or feeling worse
  • verb
  • /ɪɡˈzæsərˌbeɪtɪŋ/
translation icon : exacerbar
  • And we know that acid reflux or heartburn can be exacerbated by caffeine intake and empty stomach.

But that problem is exacerbated by extreme viewing angles.

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Examples

  • Now this refugee crisis was further exacerbated because you have to feed all those people coming down there.

  • And both of them are exacerbated by lack of sleep.

  • And that exacerbates the problem, right?

  • I just forgot about the fact that we're in the cold when we're doing this, which exacerbates everything.

  • This further exacerbates the supply issue and of course does not handle the demand.

  • But the music then just exacerbates the bad mood.

  • There is this division that's being exacerbated by various narratives out there.

  • His constant complaints were exacerbating tensions within the team.

  • The patient's condition was exacerbating due to the lack of proper treatment.

  • The political instability is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Synonyms

to escalate
vsto exacerbating
220 5.5

To become larger, more serious, or more intense

emphasizes worsening rather than growth in scale or escalation only
to intensify
vsto exacerbating
110 4.0

Make something stronger or more intense

specifies worsening or harm rather than any neutral increase in intensity
to heighten
vsto exacerbating
76 4.1

To make a feeling, effect or situation stronger

is about making a problem worse rather than merely more noticeable
to aggravate
vsto exacerbating
73 4.6

Make a problem or health condition worse

also applies to feelings as well as situations and conditions
to exacerbate
vsto exacerbating
69 8.0

To make a problem or feeling worse

is the same meaning but used as the present participle form
to worsen
vsto exacerbating
61 3.9

To make a situation or condition less good

stresses increasing severity rather than simply decline or deterioration
to compound
vsto exacerbating
61 6.9

To make a bad situation worse

refers to making worse directly rather than by combining further causes
to deepen
vsto exacerbating
52 3.6

Make a feeling or situation stronger

is the broader act of making things worse rather than deepening only
to make matters worse
vsto exacerbating
37 4.0

To cause a situation to become more difficult or unpleasant

is the general concept of making worse rather than this specific phrase
to inflame
vsto exacerbating
31 5.8

To make people's feelings stronger, especially anger or hate

is about worsening problems or feelings generally, not only emotions
to add insult to injury
vsto exacerbating
  • Informal
12 4.5

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that hurts someone more

is about causing worsening in general rather than adding personal insult
to add fuel to the fire
vsto exacerbating
  • Informal
7 5.9

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that makes people angrier

is the general idea of causing harm rather than only provoking others
aggravating
vsto exacerbating
3 5.4

Making a situation worse or more annoying

focuses on general worsening rather than annoyance or irritation specifically
to exasperate
vsto exacerbating
1 8.9

Make a problem or feeling worse

is the broader act of worsening rather than emphasizing irritation
to pour gasoline on the fire
vsto exacerbating
  • Informal
1 7.3

Make a bad situation worse by what you say or do

refers to making things worse broadly rather than only provoking conflict
worsening
vsto exacerbating
3.9

Becoming worse or more serious over time

is about actively making things worse rather than only becoming worse
intensifying
vsto exacerbating
3.7

Becoming stronger or more intense

focuses on causing harm or severity rather than general intensification
to enflame
vsto exacerbating
6.4

To make feelings like anger or excitement stronger

covers general worsening rather than focusing mainly on emotions
to pour fuel on the fire
vsto exacerbating
  • Informal
7.3

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something

expresses worsening generally, not only worsening caused by speech or action
to worsify
vsto exacerbating
  • Informal
9.9

To make something worse

is the standard noninformal term rather than a slang form

Antonyms

1.4

Becoming better over time

How Severe

to exacerbating
7.5
worsening
3.9

Surface Forms

exacerbate infinitive
exacerbated past participle
exacerbating present participle
exacerbates third person singular

Morphology

exacerbating = exacerbate (transparent) = exacerbate + ing

Regular present-participle / gerund formation: adding '-ing' to the verb 'exacerbate' without change in its core meaning.

Etymology

Exacerbating comes from Latin parts ex- 'very' and acerb- 'bitter', the same root you see in acerbic 'sharp' or 'bitter'. So to exacerbate something is to make it 'more bitter' — in other words, worse.