Exacerbate
Exacerbate verb - To make more severe.
Usage example: a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
Relieve is an antonym for exacerbate.
Nearby Words: exacerbation, exacerbating
Relieve
Relieve verb - To make more bearable or less severe.
Usage example: an ice pack will relieve the swelling
Common collocations
Cite this Source
Relieve and Exacerbate. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/exacerbate/relieve
Exacerbate & Relieve. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/exacerbate/relieve>.
Relieve or Exacerbate. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/exacerbate/relieve.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "exacerbate" and "relieve" have occurred on timeline