Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn increase in the severity of something (such as a disease)
More synonyms by meaning
nounaction that makes a problem or a disease (or its symptoms) worse
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinexacerbātiōnem
- Middle Englishexacerbacyoun
- Englishexacerbation
From Middle English exacerbacyoun, from Latin exacerbātiōnem, from exacerbāre (“to provoke, make harsh”). See exacerbate.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian влошаване
- влошаване (vlošavane)increase in severity
Catalan exacerbació
- exacerbacióincrease in severity
French exacerbation
- exacerbationincrease in severity
German Verschärfung, Verschlimmerung
- Verschärfungincrease in severity
- Verschlimmerungincrease in severity
- Erbitterungincrease in severity
Greek επιδείνωση
- επιδείνωση (epideínosi)increase in severity
Indonesian eksaserbasi
- eksaserbasiincrease in severity
Italian esacerbazione, esacerbamento
- esacerbazioneincrease in severity
- esacerbamentoincrease in severity
Latin exacerbātiō
- exacerbātiōincrease in severity
Polish pogorszenie, zaostrzenie
- pogorszenieincrease in severity
- zaostrzenieincrease in severity
Portuguese exacerbação
- exacerbaçãoincrease in severity
Spanish exacerbación
- exacerbaciónincrease in severity
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with exacerbation
Cite this entry
exacerbation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exacerbation
“exacerbation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exacerbation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exacerbation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exacerbation.
Source: exacerbation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.