To worsen or increase the severity of symptoms is to what?

• A. Exacerbate
• B. Relieve
• C. Alleviate
• D. Mitigate

Answer: (A)

The idea here is choosing a word that means making symptoms worse. Exacerbate captures that exactly: to worsen or intensify the severity of symptoms. The other terms all mean reducing symptoms or easing their impact—relieve removes pain, alleviate makes symptoms less severe, and mitigate lessens the severity or harm. So when the question asks for what means to worsen, the correct choice is the one that describes increasing severity: exacerbate. For example, a fever can be exacerbated by dehydration, meaning it becomes more intense.