Escalate Definition

The word “escalate” is derived from the Latin word “scala,” meaning “ladder.” It first entered the English language in the early 1600s. The word has several different meanings, but its most common usage is to describe a situation that is getting worse or more intense.

When you escalate something, you make it go up to a higher level. In other words, you make it more serious. For example, if two countries are arguing with each other, and they start sending more troops to the border, that’s an escalation of the conflict.

Escalation can also be used as a verb meaning “to increase in intensity.” So if a fight starts out as a few punches being thrown, and then escalates into a full-blown brawl, that means the violence increased and got more intense.

You can also use escalating to describe how quickly something is getting worse. An escalating problem is one that’s getting worse at an increasing rate. So if traffic on the freeway is moving along smoothly and then suddenly starts gridlocking, that’s an escalating problem.