exacerbate

/ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt/

//ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"exacerbate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exacerbate” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,972. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,972
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.).

Corpus desk

Index EN-exacerbate · exacerbate · English

exacerbate · rank #31,972 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,972
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH euphemism

Nearest frequency peer: euphemism (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “exacerbate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “exacerbate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for exacerbate
PropertyValue
Headwordexacerbate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#31,972
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exacerbate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).exacerbatelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “euphemism” (#31,971), “exonerated” (#31,974), “Errol” (#31,969). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exacerbate” is #31,972. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around exacerbate (IPA /ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #31,972 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for exacerbate, with forms such as "eaxcerbate", "exaccerbate", and "exacebrate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1660; borrowed from Latin exacerbātus, perfect passive participle of Latin exacerbō (“to provoke”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out of; thoroughly”) + acerbō (“to embitter, harshen or worsen”). The correct English form is exacerbate, spelled E-X-A-C-E-R-B-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how exacerbate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Near-synonym: worsen
  2. The proposed shutdown would exacerbate unemployment problems.

Etymology

First attested in 1660; borrowed from Latin exacerbātus, perfect passive participle of Latin exacerbō (“to provoke”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out of; thoroughly”) + acerbō (“to embitter, harshen or worsen”).

This word in other languages

exacerbar(Español)exacerber(Français)verschlimmern(Deutsch)exacerbar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eaxcerbate
  • exaccerbate
  • exacebrate
  • exacerabte
  • exacerbaet
  • exacerbatte
  • exacerbbate
  • exacerbtae
  • exacerrbate
  • exacrebate
  • exaecrbate
  • excaerbate
  • exxacerbate
  • xeacerbate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of exacerbate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

eaxcerbate2exaccerbate1exacebrate2exacerabte2exacerbaet2exacerbatte1exacerbbate1exacerbtae2
Edit distance from "exacerbate"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "exacerbate"?
"exacerbate" is spelled E-X-A-C-E-R-B-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt/.
What does "exacerbate" mean?
As a verb, "exacerbate" means: To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.).
What are common misspellings of "exacerbate"?
Common misspellings include "eaxcerbate", "exaccerbate", "exacebrate", "exacerabte", "exacerbaet". The correct spelling is "exacerbate".
How do you pronounce "exacerbate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exacerbate" is /ɪɡˈzæsɚˌbeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "exacerbate"?
First attested in 1660; borrowed from Latin exacerbātus, perfect passive participle of Latin exacerbō (“to provoke”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out of; thoroughly”) + acerbō (“to embitter, harshen or worsen”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "exacerbate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

exonerated#31,974favourably#31,981flawlessly#31,988disservice#31,955

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

firestorm14 variantscorroborate14 variantsgodmother14 variantsGuatemalan14 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list