Master confusing words with ease
Exacerbate vs. Exasperate
Exacerbate
/ɪɡˈzasəbeɪt/Examples:
His actions only served to exacerbate the tense situation.The drought's impact was exacerbated by the government's inaction.Introducing the new policy might exacerbate existing issues.
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Antonyms:
Exasperate
/ɪɡˈzæspəreɪt/Examples:
The constant noise began to exasperate the neighbors.His tendency to interrupt would often exasperate his colleagues.She tried not to let the delay exasperate her as she waited.
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Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Exacerbate means to make a bad situation worse, while exasperate means to irritate or frustrate someone intensely.
- Exacerbate is often used in medical or technical contexts, while exasperate is more about personal emotions and reactions.
- To remember the difference, think of an exacerbated scene worsening, while exasperated people showing frustration.
- You could exacerbate a conflict by adding fuel to the fire, but you exasperate a person by annoying them repeatedly.
- Exacerbate has the part acerb which is similar to acid indicating making things harsher, while exasperate shares its root with asperity meaning roughness.
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