exacerbate further

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "exacerbate further" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a situation that is already negative and is expected to worsen. Example: "The new policy is likely to exacerbate further the existing tensions within the community."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Density is much lower in England (24 per cent) than it is in Wales (36 per cent), Northern Ireland (35 per cent), or Scotland (30 per cent), and lowest in the South-east and London (19 per cent), so any attempt to weaken unions is going to exacerbate further the regional divide.

Independent

Bitmain Technologies, one of the largest cryptocurrency mining semiconductor companies' initial public offering or IPO, could be called into question if the cryptocurrency market woes exacerbate further.

Forbes

Increasing the amount of money the very rich can contribute to candidates will only exacerbate further this wealth primary barrier.

Huffington Post

The abstract and fragmented nature of the worrisome thoughts may allow the worrier to jump from one topic to another, and reach catastrophic outcomes which exacerbate further worry intrusions.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

That suspicion is exacerbated further because Whitaker has not been confirmed by the Senate.

The Washington Post

"If the challenges for local newspapers are exacerbated further by local councils, it will have dire consequences for democracy".

The Guardian

Homelessness levels in this country have reached shocking new highs, and are being exacerbated further by local government cuts.

Independent

The issue is exacerbated further by a faulty national health insurance plan that doesn't allow patients to afford medical services.

The Guardian

Safi says the aggressiveness of the rival social media campaigns reflects the polarisation of Palestinian society, a divide he expects to be exacerbated further.

The Guardian

Ajoy Roy stated that his son steadily grew to a more pronounced atheism, which "enraged extremist groups", exacerbated further by the fact that Roy was born a Hindu.

The Guardian

The fragmentation of the budget is exacerbated further by the presentation of details of social security expenditure in yet another document.

Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While grammatically sound, consider whether "further" is truly necessary after "exacerbate", as exacerbate already implies a worsening. In many cases, "exacerbate" alone may suffice for conciseness.

Common error

Avoid using "exacerbate further" when "exacerbate" alone conveys the intended meaning. Redundancy can weaken your writing, so strive for concise expression.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exacerbate further" functions as a verb phrase, typically used to describe the action of making a situation, feeling, or problem worse than it already is. As Ludwig AI points out, while grammatically sound, the phrase can be somewhat redundant.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Science

44%

Encyclopedias

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "exacerbate further" is grammatically correct but leans toward redundancy, as "exacerbate" inherently implies a worsening. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is valid, but its use should be considered carefully for conciseness. It's most commonly found in news, scientific, and encyclopedic contexts. While accurate, prioritizing stronger word choices is advisable for improving writing quality. Alternatives such as "worsen" or "aggravate" may sometimes be more appropriate. When in doubt, consider if the “further” adds a level of emphasis or is just diluting the value of “exacerbate” itself.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

worsen additionally

Replaces "exacerbate" with "worsen" and "further" with "additionally" retaining the sense of increasing negativity.

aggravate even more

Substitutes "exacerbate" with "aggravate" and "further" with "even more", intensifying the negative impact.

intensify moreover

Uses "intensify" in place of "exacerbate" and "moreover" instead of "further", emphasizing the increased strength or degree of something.

compound the problem

This phrase directly addresses worsening an existing issue, implying that the problem becomes multifaceted.

add fuel to the fire

This idiomatic expression highlights worsening an already volatile situation.

deepen the crisis

Implies the situation is already critical and is becoming increasingly serious.

inflate the issue

This relates to making a problem seem bigger or more significant than it may initially be, which worsens things.

amplify the effect

Focuses on increasing the impact or consequences of something, implying a negative outcome.

magnify the damage

This emphasizes the increase in harm or destruction caused.

heighten the tension

Specifically refers to increasing strain or unease, implying a negative escalation.

FAQs

Is it redundant to say "exacerbate further"?

While grammatically correct, "exacerbate further" can sometimes be redundant, as "exacerbate" already implies a worsening. Consider if the "further" adds meaningful emphasis or if it can be omitted for conciseness.

What does "exacerbate" mean?

"Exacerbate" means to make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse. It's similar to saying "worsen" or "aggravate".

What are some alternatives to "exacerbate"?

Depending on the context, you could use words like "worsen", "aggravate", "intensify", or "compound" instead of "exacerbate".

How can I use "exacerbate further" in a sentence?

You can use "exacerbate further" to describe something that is making an already bad situation even worse. For example, "The economic downturn will likely "exacerbate further" the existing social inequalities."