When something is already bad, and you make it worse, you exacerbate it. A late night can exacerbate a cold. Fighting in front of the children can exacerbate a family problem.

When something is already bad, and you make it worse,當一件事已經很糟，而你讓它變得更糟時 you exacerbate it就是在 exacerbate 它。A late night熬夜 can exacerbate a cold可能會讓感冒惡化。Fighting in front of the children在孩子面前吵架 can exacerbate a family problem可能會讓家庭問題更嚴重。

Doctors and news writers use this word a lot: smoke exacerbates asthma; skipped medicine can exacerbate an illness; a harsh comment can exacerbate a quarrel.

Doctors and news writers use this word a lot:醫生和新聞寫作者很常用這個字 smoke exacerbates asthma; skipped medicine can exacerbate an illness; a harsh comment can exacerbate a quarrel像是煙會讓氣喘惡化、沒按時吃藥可能讓病情加重、一句刻薄的話可能讓爭吵更嚴重。

It is a fairly formal, careful word. In everyday talk people more often say make worse.

It is這個字 a fairly formal, careful word相當正式、講究的用字。In everyday talk平常口語 people more often say make worse大家比較常說 make worse。

You exacerbate a situation, a problem, a feeling, or an illness — not usually a person. If you want the person-word, that is more like annoy or provoke.

You exacerbate可以 exacerbate 的對象是 a situation, a problem, a feeling, or an illness一個情況、一個問題、一種感覺，或一種病 — not usually a person通常不會是一個人。If you want the person-word,如果你想講的是「惹某個人生氣」這種字 that is more like annoy or provoke那比較接近 annoy 或 provoke。

Though actually, the Latin underneath is about making something bitter and harsh, so the old picture is “make it sting more,” not just “add more of it.”

Though actually, the Latin underneath is about不過其實它底下的拉丁字根講的是 making something bitter and harsh,讓某個東西變得又苦又刺 so the old picture is “make it sting more,” not just “add more of it.”所以原本的畫面是「讓它更刺痛」，而不只是「再加多一點」。