To increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate: a speech that exacerbated racial tensions; a heavy rainfall that exacerbated the flood problems.
[Latin exacerbre, exacerbt- : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + acerbre, to make harsh (from acerbus, harsh; see ak- in Indo-European roots).]
irritate – excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame; “Aspirin irritates my stomach”
inflame – cause inflammation in; “The repetitive motion inflamed her joint”
alter, change, modify – cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; “The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city”; “The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue”
cheapen, degrade – lower the grade of something; reduce its worth
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