Also 6–7 exasperat. [f. L. exasperāt- ppl. stem of exasperāre to roughen, irritate, f. ex- (see EX- pref.1) + asper rough.]
† 1. To make harsh or rugged; to add harshness to (language, sounds, etc.); to render (laws) more severe. Obs.
1597. T. Morley, Introd. Mus., 177. Cadences bound with the fourth or seuenth … being in long notes will exasperat the harmonie.
1634. H. R., Salerne Regim., 155. Nuts … exasperate the voyce and make it like a Cranes voyce.
1643. Milton, Divorce, II. xvii. Not considering that the Law should be exasperated according to our estimation of the injury.
1651. W. G., trans. Cowel’s Inst., 264. So great hath been the bloody wickednesse of these times, that this Law hath been somewhat more exasperated.
1692. Christ Exalted, 99. Our Translators do rather mollifie, than exasperate, the word timeas, and say, Thou hast aborred.
1765. Beattie, On Churchill, 87. Did hate to vice exasperate thy style, No—Bufo match’d the vilest of the vile.
2. To increase the fierceness or violence of (a disease, pain, appetite, etc.). Now with mixed notion of 3, 4.
1611. Cotgr., Aigrun, any thing that encreases, or exasperates, a disease, or sore.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., in Beauties of B. (1846), 59. Rubbing the sore doth tend to exasperate and inflame it.
1710. T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 197. All the other Symptoms will be exasperated by the tumult which Evacuations cause.
1783. P. Pott, Chirurg. Wks., II. 311. Scirrhus or cancer … was exasperated, and made worse by it.
1843. Prescott, Mexico (1874), II. 347. Two injuries on the head, one of which was so much exasperated by fatigue.
1850. T. T. Lynch, Theoph. Trinal, v. 83. If we do not heed the claim of the different appetites … we exasperate them.
† b. To make more grievous or painful; to aggravate. Also, to represent as worse; to exaggerate, magnify. Obs.
1561. Daus, trans. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573), 36. He speaketh modestly, least by exasperating ouermuch the sinne and errour in the faythfull, he should discourage them vtterly.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vi. (1605), 167. Why didst thou … Create These harmefull Beasts, which but exasperate Our thorny life?
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VII. xvii. 376. Judas … having sinned beyond aggravation, and committed one villany which cannot bee exasperated by all other.
1651. Reliq. Wotton., 33. Not to exasperate the Case of my Lord of Southampton.
1681. Lond. Gaz., No. 1625/1. They of Liege do every day more and more exasperate things.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 73, ¶ 5. This visionary opulence … exasperated our necessities.
3. To embitter, intensify (ill-feeling, passion, wickedness.) Now chiefly with mixed notion of 4. Also, in good sense: † To heighten (courage).
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. ii. 26 b. That … the vngodlines of Herode … might more and more be exasperated.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. IV. vii. § 1. 248. The Roman Dictator … to exasperate his souldiers courage, threw their owne ensignes amidst the enemies.
1677. Otway, Titus & Berenice, III. i. Why come you thus, t’exasperate my Despair?
1773. Johnson, in Boswell, 1 May, II. 107. The pride of a common man is very little exasperated by the supposed usurpation of an acknowledged superior.
1794. Paley, Evid., II. ix. § 3 (1817), 265. These feuds were exasperated by the mutual persecutions of the Jews and Christians.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. IV. vii. 490. His naturally wild and headstrong temper was exasperated by disease.
4. To irritate (a person); to provoke to anger; to enrage, incense. Const. to, also to with inf.
1534. More, Let. Marg. Roper, Wks. 1429/2. I should … but further exasperate hys highnes.
1586. Jas. VI., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 224, III. 19. If I shall persist in that course ye shall rather be exasperattet to passionis in reading the uordis.
1625. Shirley, Traitor, IV. i. I did exasperate you to kill or murder him.
1768. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, II. 367. The poor are … exasperated against the rich, and excited to insurrections.
1773. Goldsm., Stoops to Conq., IV. Wks. (Globe), 670/1. You know my hasty temper, and should not exasperate it.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., iv. The burghers … were greatly exasperated at the unexpected respite.
1819. Shelley, Cenci, II. ii. 37. Thus he is exasperated to ill.
1867. Emerson, Lett. & Soc. Aims, Progr. Culture, Wks. (Bohn), III. 236. In England … the game laws … exasperated the farmers to carry the Reform Bill.
refl. 1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, Pref. 2 a. Exasperate not yourselfe agaynste me for makynge of this lytle volume of Phisycke.
1871. Smiles, Charac., vi. (1876), 175. We shall not mend matters by exasperating ourselves against them.
absol. 1606. G. W[oodcocke], trans. Hist. Ivstine, 100 a. Phillip exasperated what he could, to perswade the Etolians to ioyn warre with him against the Romaines.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 254. Not knowing whether such a deniall might satisfie or exasperate.
1645. Milton, Tetrach., Ded. Those who ceased not to exasperate without cause.
b. transf.
1654. R. Codrington, trans. Ivstine’s Hist., 67. Injury on this side, and indignitie on the other side did exasperate their swords.
1865. Merivale, Rom. Emp., VIII. lxiii. 30. The stream … foams in a furious torrent, exasperated by the rocky ledges which at some points intercept its course.
† 5. To irritate physically; to render sore, chafe.
1552. Huloet, Exasperate, vlcero.
1610. Markham, Masterp., II. clxxiii. 494. Though it [Mirre or Mirrha] doth cleanse much, yet it doth not exasperate the arteries.
1621. Venner, Tobacco (1650), 411. Not sucking it with a sudden or strong attraction: for then it will exasperate the winde pipe.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Tracts (1684), 105. The Mugil being somewhat rough and hard-skinned, did more exasperate the gutts of such offenders.
† 6. intr. a. Of persons: To become enraged or incensed. Cf. 4. b. Of things: To become worse or more serious. Cf. 2 b. c. Of a disease, etc.: To increase in violence or severity. Cf. 2. Obs.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 94. The more his externall wounds healed, the more did his internall exasperate and fret.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), I. II. xv. 18. Notwithstanding … that matters began to exasperat more and more … he would abate nothing.
1659. Heylin, Animadv., in Fuller’s Appeal (1840), 339. The University of Oxford frequently quarrelled and exasperated, upon slight occasions.
a. 1734. North, Life Ld. Guildford, 83. The Distemper exasperated, till it was manifest she could not last many Weeks.
