exacerbation

Definitions

The act of making a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.

A worsening of the severity of a disease or its symptoms.

Examples

The doctor warned that smoking would lead to an exacerbation of his respiratory condition.

The sudden increase in traffic caused an exacerbation of the city's ongoing pollution problems.

Poor communication only served to cause an exacerbation of the tension between the two departments.

Synonyms

aggravation worsening intensification compounding heightening deterioration exasperation

Antonyms

alleviation amelioration improvement mitigation relief soothing calming