exacerbate
/ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt/ verb C2- To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.). · Near-synonym: worsen· The proposed shutdown would exacerbate unemployment problems.
He/she/it exacerbates · Past exacerbated · Past participle exacerbated · -ing form exacerbating
Verb forms
- Base form
- exacerbate
- He/she/it
- exacerbates
- Past
- exacerbated
- Past participle
- exacerbated
- -ing form
- exacerbating
From the library
These sterile corporate apologies usually ring false, exacerbating the original grievance by insulting the intelligence of the affected stakeholders.
During the sweltering summer of 1858, an unprecedented heat wave descended upon the burgeoning metropolis of London, exacerbating an already dire environmental crisis.
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