exacerber

Exacerber is a French verb meaning to make something more intense or worse, often by increasing strength, severity, or intensity. It is transitive and commonly used with an object, as in exacerber une situation, exacerber une douleur, or exacerber les tensions. In medical contexts, it denotes the worsening of symptoms or disease activity; in political or social discourse, it describes actions that heighten conflict or hostility. In everyday language, aggraver is more common, while exacerber can convey a sense of escalation or aggravation with nuance.

Etymology and form: the verb derives from Latin exacerbare, formed from ex- “thoroughly” and acerbus “harsh, bitter.” The corresponding noun form is exacerbation, used especially in medical language to signify a worsening episode or flare-up. Exacerber is a regular -er verb in its conjugation.

Conjugation (present tense): j'exacerbe, tu exacerbes, il exacerbe, nous exacerbons, vous exacerbez, ils exacerbent. It follows standard -er verb patterns: passé composé with avoir (j'ai exacerbé), imperfect (j'exacerbais), future (j'exacerberai), conditional (j'exacerberais), among others.

Usage notes: Common collocations include exacerber une crise, exacerber les tensions, exacerber les symptômes, et exacerber la douleur. Synonyms include aggraver and intensifier; antonyms include apaiser, atténuer, calmer. The term is typically found in formal, analytical, or medical writing and may appear in discussions of public policy, health, or conflict dynamics.

See also: exacerbation, the noun referring to the act or state of becoming more severe, widely used in medical French to describe a deterioration of a condition.