aggravate

/ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt/

Say it: AG-ruh-vayt

1. verb To make a problem, injury, or bad situation worse or more serious.
His constant scratching only aggravated the rash on his arm.
2. verb To annoy or exasperate someone, especially persistently.
The child's incessant questions began to aggravate the driver.

📖 Seen in the wild

His constant complaining only served to aggravate an already tense situation.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ aggravate in a sentence

The drought has aggravated the food shortage in the region.
Don't aggravate your knee injury by trying to lift heavy boxes.
It really aggravates me when people talk during a movie.
Her refusal to apologize only served to aggravate the situation.
In law, the presence of a weapon can be an aggravating factor in an assault case.
His condescending tone was particularly aggravating.
The last thing we need is another delay to aggravate the already frustrated clients.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

worsen exacerbate annoy irritate exasperate intensify compound pester

worsen · a direct and neutral synonym for making something more severe.

exacerbate · a more formal term, often used in medical or technical contexts.

annoy · a general term for irritating someone, often less intense than aggravate.

irritate · suggests a persistent or nagging annoyance that wears on one's patience.

Opposites: alleviate, soothe, improve, mitigate, relieve

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'aggravate' comes from the Latin verb 'aggravare', meaning 'to make heavier'. This was formed from 'ad-' (to, toward) and 'gravis' (heavy). Its original English meaning directly reflects this root, referring to making a burden, problem, or illness more severe or 'heavier'. The sense of 'to annoy' developed later but has since become extremely common.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

aggravate the situationaggravate an injuryaggravate the problemaggravated by the delaydeliberately aggravate someone

For a long time, style guides insisted that 'aggravate' should only mean 'to make worse' and not 'to annoy'. However, the 'annoy' meaning is now fully established and accepted in all but the most formal contexts. To be safe in highly formal or academic writing, you might prefer 'exacerbate' for making a situation worse and 'annoy' or 'irritate' for vexing a person, but in everyday use, both meanings of 'aggravate' are standard.

Word family: aggravation, aggravating, aggravated

💬 Quick answers

What does 'aggravate' mean?

Aggravate has two main meanings: to make a bad situation or injury worse, or to annoy and exasperate someone.

What's the difference between 'aggravate' and 'exacerbate'?

Both mean 'to make worse'. Exacerbate is more formal and is typically used for problems, diseases, or conditions. Aggravate can be used in the same way but also has the common, more informal meaning of 'to annoy'.

Is it incorrect to use 'aggravate' to mean 'annoy'?

No. While some traditionalists argue its only correct meaning is 'to make worse', the 'annoy' sense has been in standard use for over a century and is widely accepted today, though it can be seen as slightly more informal.

What is an aggravating factor?

In a legal context, an aggravating factor is any fact or circumstance that increases the severity or culpability of a criminal act, potentially leading to a harsher sentence.

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