This topic is the mirror image of Making Things Better. Some of these verbs describe making a bad situation worse (exacerbate, aggravate, compound); some describe slow weakening, often from below or out of sight (undermine, erode, deteriorate); and some describe damage or danger (debilitate, impair, jeopardize, sabotage).
Key idea
Make a bad thing worse: exacerbate, aggravate, compound. Weaken slowly: undermine (from beneath, or in secret), erode (wear away), deteriorate (grow worse). Damage and danger: debilitate (weaken badly), impair (damage), jeopardize (put at risk), sabotage (wreck on purpose).
The ten words
Common mistake
compound as a verb means to make worse (compound an error), not only to combine. aggravate in careful use means to make worse; "to annoy" is a common everyday meaning.
| how it gets worse | words |
|---|---|
| a bad thing made worse | exacerbate, aggravate, compound |
| weakened from below or in secret | undermine, sabotage |
| worn down slowly | erode, deteriorate |
| badly weakened or damaged | debilitate, impair |
| put at risk | jeopardize |
compound as a verb means to add to a problem (“he compounded the error by lying about it”), not only to combine things. aggravate in careful writing means to make worse; “it really aggravates me” (annoys) is everyday speech.