Becoming increasingly bitter, harsh, or severe; tending to worsen or aggravate.
From Latin exacerbescens (present participle of exacerbescere) + -ent. The -escent suffix indicates a process of becoming, making this an archaic descriptor of gradual worsening.
This adjective is so rare it barely survives in modern English, yet it perfectly describes how conflicts often feel—exacerbescent relationships that keep getting worse in slow motion.
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