Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'exacerbate'

English Word: exacerbate

Key Russian Translations:

• усугубить [ʊˈsuɡʊbʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, used in written or professional contexts]
• обострить [ɐbɐˈstrʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, often in medical or conflict-related scenarios]

Frequency: Medium (commonly encountered in formal texts, news, and discussions, but not everyday conversation)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and contextual usage; for 'усугубить', it may be slightly more challenging due to irregular aspects, while 'обострить' aligns with standard patterns)

Pronunciation (Russian):

усугубить: [ʊˈsuɡʊbʲɪtʲ]

Note on усугубить: The stress is on the second syllable; be cautious with the soft 'бʲ' sound, which is a common difficulty for English speakers. It can vary slightly in rapid speech.

обострить: [ɐbɐˈstrʲɪtʲ]

Note on обострить: Stress falls on the third syllable; the 'рʲ' is palatalized, which might require practice for non-native speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Main meaning: To worsen or intensify a problem, situation, or condition.

Translation(s) & Context:

• усугубить - Used in contexts involving long-term worsening, such as health or social issues (e.g., in formal reports or essays).
• обострить - Applied to sudden intensifications, like conflicts or symptoms (e.g., in medical or political discussions).

Usage Examples:

• Экономический кризис усугубил социальные проблемы в стране. (The economic crisis exacerbated social problems in the country.)

  Translation: The economic crisis exacerbated social problems in the country.

• Его комментарии обострили конфликт между двумя сторонами. (His comments exacerbated the conflict between the two sides.)

  Translation: His comments exacerbated the conflict between the two sides.

• Злоупотребление алкоголем может усугубить хронические заболевания. (Alcohol abuse can exacerbate chronic illnesses.)

  Translation: Alcohol abuse can exacerbate chronic illnesses.

• Политические разногласия обострили напряженность в регионе. (Political disagreements exacerbated the tension in the region.)

  Translation: Political disagreements exacerbated the tension in the region.

• Недосыпание усугубило его стресс, делая повседневные задачи невыносимыми. (Lack of sleep exacerbated his stress, making everyday tasks unbearable.)

  Translation: Lack of sleep exacerbated his stress, making everyday tasks unbearable. (This example shows the verb in a personal, psychological context.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'усугубить' and 'обострить' are perfective verbs in Russian, which means they express a completed action. They follow standard Russian verb conjugation patterns for the first conjugation group, with some irregularities in aspectual forms.

Note: These verbs do not change in gender or number in the infinitive form and are aspectually perfective, meaning they imply completion. For imperfective counterparts, use 'усугублять' or 'обострять' for ongoing actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • усиливать (usilivat') - More general intensification, often used interchangeably but with a focus on strengthening.
  • обострять (obostryat') - Similar to обострить, but imperfective for ongoing processes.
• Antonyms:
  • смягчить (smягčit') - To soften or alleviate.
  • уменьшить (um'enʂit') - To reduce or diminish.

Related Phrases:

• усугубить ситуацию (usugubit' situaciju) - To exacerbate the situation; used in discussions of crises or problems.
• обострить конфликт (obostrit' konflikt) - To exacerbate a conflict; common in political or interpersonal contexts.
• усугубить болезнь (usugubit' bolen') - To exacerbate an illness; often in medical advice or health-related texts.

Usage Notes:

'Усугубить' and 'обострить' are precise translations for 'exacerbate' but are more formal in Russian. Use 'усугубить' for long-term worsening (e.g., environmental issues), and 'обострить' for acute situations (e.g., arguments). They are typically paired with nouns like 'ситуацию' or 'конфликт'. English speakers should note that Russian verbs require agreement in aspect; choose the perfective form for completed actions. When selecting between translations, consider context: 'обострить' is preferred in medical contexts due to its connotation of sharpness.

Common Errors:

• Confusing aspect: Learners often use the imperfective form 'усугублять' when a perfective is needed, e.g., incorrectly saying "Я усугубляю проблему" instead of "Я усугубил проблему" for a completed action. Correct: Use 'усугубить' for finished events.
• Misplacing stress: English speakers might mispronounce 'усугубить' by stressing the wrong syllable, leading to incomprehensibility. Example of error: Pronouncing it as [ʊsuˈɡʊbʲɪtʲ] instead of [ʊˈsuɡʊbʲɪtʲ].
• Overgeneralizing translations: Mistaking 'обострить' for physical sharpening (like a knife), as it shares roots with 'sharp'. Correct usage: In the context of conflicts, not literal objects.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'усугубить' and 'обострить' often appear in discussions of historical events, such as wars or economic downturns, reflecting Russia's emphasis on resilience and analysis of adversity. For instance, in literature like Tolstoy's works, these verbs highlight the intensification of human struggles, underscoring a cultural narrative of enduring hardship.

Related Concepts:

• усиливать (usilivat')
• обострение (obostrenie)
• кризис (krizis)