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

Still, they know, you know, I know, the neighborhood dogs and cats know, and all those aggravated Eagles fans know—something is off.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

India will not play skipper Shubman Gill in the second Test against South Africa on Saturday if it risks aggravating his neck injury, a team coach said.

Read more on Barron's

A local detective told AFP news agency that the intruder was attempting to steal valuables and had been detained on charges of aggravated robbery.

Read more on BBC

The suspect is in custody on charges of aggravated robbery, he added.

Read more on Barron's

YouTube also had accused Disney of holding out in an effort to scoop up aggravated YouTube TV subscribers considering a switch to its Fubo or Hulu + Live TV services, which compete directly with YouTube TV.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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