aggravate

[ag-ruh-veyt]

verb (used with object)

aggravated, aggravating 

1. to make worse or more severe; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome.

   to aggravate a grievance; to aggravate an illness.

   Synonyms: increase, heighten
   Antonyms: alleviate

2. to annoy; irritate; exasperate.

   His questions aggravate her.

   Synonyms: rile, vex, anger

3. to cause to become irritated or inflamed.

   The child's constant scratching aggravated the rash.

aggravate

/ ˈæɡrəˌveɪt /

verb

1. to make (a disease, situation, problem, etc) worse or more severe

2. informal,  to annoy; exasperate, esp by deliberate and persistent goading

Usage

The two most common senses of aggravate are “to make worse” and “to annoy or exasperate.” Both senses first appeared in the early 17th century at almost the same time; the corresponding two senses of the noun aggravation also appeared then. Both senses of aggravate and aggravation have been standard since then. The use of aggravate to mean “annoy” is sometimes objected to because it departs from the etymological meaning “to make heavier,” and in formal speech and writing the sense “annoy” is somewhat less frequent than “to make worse.” The noun aggravation meaning “annoyance” occurs in all types of speech and writing.

Other Word Forms

• aggravative adjective
• aggravator noun
• overaggravate verb (used with object)
• preaggravate verb (used with object)
• reaggravate verb (used with object)
• aggravation noun
• aggravating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aggravate¹

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin aggravātus (past participle of aggravāre ), equivalent to ag- ag- + grav- ( grave ² ) + -ātus -ate ¹; aggrieve

Word History and Origins

Origin of aggravate¹

C16: from Latin aggravāre to make heavier, from gravis heavy

Synonym Study

Aggravate, intensify both mean to increase in degree. To aggravate is to make more serious or more grave: to aggravate a danger, an offense, a wound. To intensify is perceptibly to increase intensity, force, energy, vividness, etc.: to intensify heat, color, rage.

Example Sentences

Mr Ashby has also been charged with intentional strangulation, racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and robbery in relation to the same victim.

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That lethargy, meteorologists warn, could be catastrophic as it means that a hurricane can bring rain to a single location for days on end, aggravating flooding.

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He will be charged with "aggravated homicide, conspiracy to commit a crime, the use of minors for the commission of crimes, and illegal possession of firearms," the office said on X.

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Robinson, 22, was arrested on aggravated murder charges on 12 September, more than a day after Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University.

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During her absence she went through a high-profile court case in London, where she was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer during a drunken night out.

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Related Words

• complicate 
• deepen 
• exacerbate 
• exaggerate 
• heighten 
• inflame 
• intensify 
• magnify 
• worsen