erschwert
Translation
aggravated, made more difficult, complicated
Examples
Schlechte Sicht erschwert die Rettungsarbeiten.
Poor visibility makes the rescue work more difficult.
Er leidet unter erschwerter Atmung.
He suffers from laboured breathing.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) ((by sth.)) to make (sth.) more difficult (by sth.) The storm makes the journey more difficult.
Similar Words
Synonyms: kompliziert (complicated), verkompliziert (made complicated); Antonyms: erleichtert (eased), vereinfacht (simplified)
Etymology
From the prefix 'er-' (indicating a change of state) + 'schwer' (heavy, difficult). Literally, 'to make heavy/difficult'.
Memory Tips
Think of adding weight ('schwer') to a task, making it more difficult. The 'er-' prefix shows the process of *making* it that way.