Escalate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/

Definitions

1. To undergo or cause an increase in severity or intensity, particularly in regard to conflicts or issues
2. To rise progressively in magnitude or seriousness, often relating to disputes or challenges
3. To become more intense or serious, especially in situations involving conflict or tension

Etymology: "Escalate" is a back-formation from "escalator," which means the verb was made by stripping an ending off an existing noun, the reverse of the usual process. The noun came first. "Escalator" was a trademarked name for the moving staircase, and the verb was built from it afterwards, so the word's sense of rising step by step is inherited from the machine rather than from any older root. Once the verb existed, its meaning drifted away from the literal ride upward. A moving staircase carries you to a higher level without effort, and "escalate" took on the idea of a situation rising in steps, first in military and political talk about conflicts growing in size and intensity, and later in everyday use for any problem or argument that keeps getting worse.

Synonyms: intensify, increase

Antonyms: de-escalate, reduce