Explanation:
* Acerbate means to make something more bitter, harsh, or severe.
* In this sentence, the critic's review (which was bitter and harsh) made the playwright's ego worse (more bitter and fragile).
Here are some other ways you could use "acerbate":
* The constant bickering between the siblings acerbated the family tension.
* The acidic soil acerbated the plant's growth problems.
* The politician's acerbic remarks acerbated the already heated debate.