Exacerben

Exacerben is the third-person plural present subjunctive form of the Spanish verb exacerbar, meaning to make something worse or more severe. In addition to its use in subordinate clauses, it can serve as a formal affirmative command when addressing a group (ustedes) in contexts where the present subjunctive is employed for instructions or requests.

Usage and nuance

Exacerben appears in sentences expressing doubt, possibility, desire, emotion, or necessity, often after verbs or expressions that trigger the subjunctive. Examples include: “Es probable que esas medidas exacerben la crisis,” meaning “It is likely that those measures will worsen the crisis.” It can also function as a directive in formal or bureaucratic language: “Exacerben las medidas para evitar riesgos,” meaning “They should worsen the measures to avoid risks,” though the latter is less common and highly context-dependent. The corresponding indicative form is exacerban, used for stating that something already worsens.

Etymology

The verb exacerbar comes from Latin exacerbāre, meaning to make more severe or bitter, with subsequent evolution into Spanish and other Romance languages. Related forms exist in Portuguese (exacerbar) and other cognate languages, often sharing the same semantic core of intensifying negativity or severity. The noun form exacerbación (exacerbation) is used to denote the act or result of exacerbating.

See also

Exacerbación, exacerbar.