Words / E / Medicine

exacerbating

adjective/ɪɡˈzasəbeɪtɪŋ/

C1CEFR level
55/100Rarity: uncommon
TechnicalRegister

Describing a factor that makes a symptom worse.

Movement was the main exacerbating factor for her joint pain.

Similar: aggravating, worsening

Topic: Assessment & examination in Medical English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More medicine words: Assessment & examination