The verb exacerbate means to make something that is already awful even worse.
Synonyms are aggravate, provoke, annoy, or infuriate.
The word origins from 1650s, a back-formation from exacerbation or else from Latin exacerbatus, past participle of exacerbare meaning “irritate, provoke.”
The economy dropped down when the affecting factors exacerbate.
His words had just exacerbated the situation.
Air pollution exacerbates respiratory diseases.