AMELIORATE and EXACERBATE are antonyms. AMELIORATE means to make better and EXACERBATE means to make worse.
AMELIORATE and EXACERBATE are classic SAT words that are making frequent appearances on vocabulary in context questions. Thus far, AMELIORATE has been a key answer to questions in the Robot Cluster and in the Research on Income Inequality Cluster. In the Robot Cluster bipedal locomotion and other humanoid features can help to AMELIORATE the unsettling effect of the more unnatural aspects of a robot’s appearance. In the Research on Income Inequality Cluster, researchers are attempting to AMELIORATE shortcomings in how they obtain research data on disparate incomes between countries in North America and Western Europe and nations in Africa.
While AMELIORATE has far been a frequent correct answer, EXACERBATE has thus far been a frequent wrong answer. For example, in one vocabulary in context question, scholars attempt to redress or remedy the long-standing trend of overemphasizing teenagers and young adults in research on media use. They do not EXACERBATE this trend!
Needless to say, EXACERBATE could be used as a correct answer for a vocabulary in context question. However, it is important to remember that EXACERBATE is a very negative word that would not easily fit into the normally positive tone and content of most vocabulary in context questions.
AMELIORATE – to make better
EXACERBATE – to make worse