weaken verb ⇨weaken (weaken sb's position)⇨tire (Her legs began to weaken.)⇨undermine (weaken sb's resolve)⇨worsen (sb's authority weakens)weaken
verb
➡ See also the entry for worsen另见worsen条weaken ♦︎ make sth worse ♦︎ add to sth ♦︎ compound ♦︎ exacerbate ♦︎ aggravateThese words all mean to make sb/sth weaker or worse in some way.这些词均表示使更虚弱、使恶化。PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS 句型和搭配◆to add to / compound / exacerbate / aggravate a problem◆to add to / compound / exacerbate / aggravate worries / concerns◆to add to / exacerbate / aggravate tensions◆to compound / exacerbate / aggravate a situation◆to make a problem / a situation worse◆to seriously weaken / add to / compound / exacerbate / aggravate sth◆to greatly weaken / add to / exacerbate / aggravate sth◆to only add to / compound / exacerbate / aggravate sth◆to only make sth worse■weaken [transitive] (ratherformal) to make sb/sth less strong or powerful使虚弱;削弱◆The team has been weakened by injury.该队因伤实力减弱。◆The new evidence weakens the case against her.新的证据削弱了指控她的案由。◆This new story has severely weakened the President's position.这条新闻严重削弱了总统的地位。OPPstrengthen ⇨ strengthen■make sth ˈworse
phrase
(made, made) (ratherinformal) to cause a problem or situation to be more difficult or less hopeful than it was before使(问题或形势)更糟;使恶化◆Don't tell her that-you'll only make things worse.别把这件事告诉她-你只会火上浇油。◆To make matters worse, the value of homes has dropped dramatically.更糟糕的是,房产价值急剧下降。■ˈadd to sth
phrasal verb
to make a problem or bad feeling worse by introducing new difficulties to the situation使(问题或不良情绪)更糟;使恶化◆The bad weather only added to our difficulties.恶劣的天气使我们的处境愈加困难。■compound kəmˈpaʊnd [transitive, often passive] (ratherformal, written) to make a problem, situation or feeling worse or more extreme by introducing new difficulties or facts使(问题、形势或情绪)加重;使恶化◆The problems were compounded by severe food shortages.严重的食品短缺使问题恶化。■exacerbate ɪgˈzæsəbeɪt; NAmEɪgˈzæsərbeɪt [transitive] (formal) to make an illness, problem or difficult situation worse使(病情、问题或困难)恶化;加重◆The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs.这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。◆His aggressive reaction only exacerbated the situation.他的挑衅行为只会使情况恶化。OPPalleviate ⇨ ease■aggravateˈægrəveɪt [transitive] (formal) to make an illness, problem or difficult situation worse使(病情、问题或困难)恶化;加重◆He aggravated an old shoulder injury during the win against Chelsea.他在击败切尔西的比赛中加剧了肩上的旧伤。◆Military intervention will only aggravate the conflict even further.军事干预只会使冲突进一步恶化。OPPalleviate ⇨ easeNOTE辨析 Exacerbate or aggravate?There is very little difference in meaning or use between these words. However, aggravate collocates much more strongly with injury.这两个词在含义和用法上差别很小,但是与injury搭配时大多用aggravate◆He exacerbated an old shoulder injury.