What does exacerbate mean?
Word: Exacerbate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Exacerbate means to make a bad situation, problem or pain worse.
Synonyms: worsen, aggravate, intensify
Antonyms: relieve, soothe
Word origin: Comes from Latin exacerbare, to make harsh, from ex- (thoroughly) and acerbus, harsh or bitter.
How do you spell exacerbate?
Syllables: ex - ac - er - bate
Tricky part: After exa comes c, not s, so exaserbate is wrong.
Watch out for: exaserbate, exacurbate
Memory tip: Something acerbic is sharp and bitter, and exacerbate keeps the c of acerbic.
Exacerbate in a sentence
Example 1: Scratching the mosquito bite will only exacerbate the itching.
Example 2: Burning crop stubble exacerbates Delhi's winter smog.
Example 3: His rude reply exacerbated the quarrel.
Fun Fact
Engineers warn that paving over green land can exacerbate flooding, because rainwater can no longer soak into the soil.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
exacer____
a) bait
b) bate
c) beat
d) bayt
Show answer
b) bate. The ending is bate, as in debate.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. exacerbate 2. obscure 3. diligent a. alleviate b. lazy c. clarify
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. Exacerbating pain is the reverse of alleviating it, obscuring is the reverse of clarifying, and diligent is the opposite of lazy.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
Skipping meals will only exacerbate your headache, so eat something and drink plenty of water before the exam.
a) 2
b) 1
c) 0
d) 3
Show answer
c) 0. Every word in the sentence is spelt correctly, exacerbate included.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ex' pronounced differently?
a) exacerbate
b) expert
c) exhaust
d) example
Show answer
b) expert. Expert begins with a ks sound; in the other three, ex sounds like igz.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would exacerbate a sore throat?
a) shouting all evening at a cricket match
b) resting your voice for a whole day
c) taking the medicine the doctor gave
d) sipping warm water with honey
Show answer
a) shouting all evening at a cricket match
2. When a shortage is exacerbated, it ____.
a) is quickly solved
b) stays a secret
c) disappears
d) grows more serious
Show answer
d) grows more serious
