Acerbate

Pronunciation: /ˈeɪsɝˈbeɪt/

Acerbate (verb)

  1. To make a situation or feeling more severe or unpleasant.

Examples

  • The harsh criticism will only acerbate the situation.
  • His comments will acerbate the situation further.

Common collocations: acerbate a problem, acerbate tensions, acerbate feelings

Synonyms of Acerbate

Formal

Neutral

Antonyms of Acerbate

  • — To calm or relieve discomfort.
  • — To make a problem less severe.