Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “exacerbate” come from?

Exacerbate comes from Latin exacerbāre, formed from ex- and acerbus meaning sharp or harsh, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ-.

exacerbate (English): To make worse ; aggravate; exasperate

Definitions

  1. To make worse ; aggravate; exasperate

Ancestry of “exacerbate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinexacerbatusexasperated
2LatinexacerboI exasperate, irritate, provoke; I aggravate
3Latinacerbō—
4Latinacerbusharsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet...
5Latinācer—
6Latinsaccharumsugar
7Ancient Greekσάκχαρsugar; sugar cane
8Sanskritशर्कराgravel, grit, pebbles, shingle, gravelly mould or...
9Proto-Indo-AryanśárkaraH—
10Proto-Indo-IranianćárkaraH—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱorkeh₂gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel

Words derived from “exacerbate”

  • exacerbator
  • exacerbatory
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱorkeh₂ →