acerbate
verb
ac·er·bate ˈa-sər-ˌbāt 
acerbated; acerbating
transitive verb
: irritate, exasperate
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Scientists insist that climate change has acerbated already ripe conditions for calamitous fires, while critics have contended that such devastation is nothing new to the Australian landscape. 
Fox News, 17 Jan. 2020 The goal: Not acerbating people's financial problems. Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, 23 Oct. 2019 Airlines say the current rule is acerbating a pilot shortage that has caused some regional carriers to cancel flights. Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2017
Fox News, 17 Jan. 2020 The goal: Not acerbating people's financial problems. Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, 23 Oct. 2019 Airlines say the current rule is acerbating a pilot shortage that has caused some regional carriers to cancel flights. Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2017 Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin acerbātus, past participle of acerbāre "to make bitter or disagreeable, worsen, aggravate," verbal derivative of acerbus "sour, bitter, grievous" — more at acerb
First Known Use
1657, in the meaning defined above