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exacerbating

VERB

infuriate; make worse

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aggravate annoy heighten inflame intensify irritate provoke worsen

STRONG

embitter enrage envenom exasperate excite increase madden vex

WEAK

add insult to injury egg on fan the flames feed the fire go from bad to worse heat up hit on push one's button rattle one's cage rub salt in a wound

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid alleviate appease calm delight help improve make happy please soothe

STRONG

comfort compose pacify placate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Polling and sentiment gauges show that high gas prices are exacerbating worries about the cost of living.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

"This analysis shows that climate change is having a clear, exacerbating effect on wildfire danger in the UK," Theodore Keeping, research associate in the analysis of extreme weather and wildfires at Imperial College London said.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

A decrease in the availability of smartphones at lower-tier levels could prompt consumers to switch to a premium Apple product, exacerbating an existing mix shift trend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Retail traders are pulling money out of energy exchange-traded funds, exacerbating a selloff in the sector that has sent stocks down by double-digits from their peaks last month.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

One of the fluorescent lights had started flickering halfway through class, exacerbating the pain, and Moss was eager to dart over to his locker and get his medication.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro