escalate

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈɛs.kjə.leɪt/ UK /ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #22762

Meanings

1

verb
To become or make something more serious or intense.

The argument quickly escalated into a violent fight.
2

verb
To pass a problem to someone with more authority to deal with it.

If the support agent can't help, they will escalate your case to a manager.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to become or make something... intensify

Word family

Forms escalatedescalatesescalating

Derived forms de-escalateescalatinglyescalationescalatoryreescalateunescalated

Related forms escalator scale

Simplified etymology

Escalate was coined from escalator in the early 1920s and originally meant “to travel on an escalator.” Its senses “increase rapidly” and “become more intense or serious” date from the 1950s. Escalator began as an American trade name in 1900, formed from escalade “scale a fortified wall by ladder” under the influence of elevator.

Etymology

Back-formation from escalator.

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# escalate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈɛs.kjə.leɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 22762

## Meanings
1. To become or make something more serious or intense.
2. To pass a problem to someone with more authority to deal with it.

## Examples
- The argument quickly escalated into a violent fight.
- If the support agent can't help, they will escalate your case to a manager.

## Derived Forms
- de-escalate
- escalatingly
- escalation
- escalatory
- reescalate
- unescalated

## Related Forms
- escalator
- scale

## Etymology
Back-formation from escalator.

## AI Etymology
Escalate is a back-formation from escalator. The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as de-escalate, escalatingly, escalation, and escalatory and related forms such as escalator and scale. In present use it covers to become or make something more serious or intense and to pass a problem to someone with more authority to deal with it.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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