aggravated
Americanadjective
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I get so aggravated when I get this much junk mail.
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made worse or more severe; intensified.
Stress impedes the emptying of the stomach, which can lead to aggravated heartburn.
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Law. characterized by some feature defined by law that enhances the crime, as the intention of the criminal or the special vulnerability of the victim.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aggravated
Explanation
When you see the word aggravated in the description of a crime, it's a more serious crime. Aggravated assault is more than a punch in the nose — it’s assault with the intent of causing serious bodily harm. Aggravated is built on the Latin root gravis "heavy," as in gravity, and with the prefix ad-, it means "to make heavy." So robbery is one thing, but aggravated robbery is not only robbing someone, but also causing physical harm, and the punishment would be harsher than for simple robbery. The word is used more casually to mean "angered" — you're likely to be an aggravated customer if you’ve been waiting in line forever and someone cuts in front of you.
Vocabulary lists containing aggravated
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It said that Rhodes "thoroughly warranted a long minimum term", but that aspects of the case should have further aggravated the sentence.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The break from pitching could also benefit his left knee, a problem that seems to have been aggravated by pitching.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Chan-jin expressed sorrow at failing to halt the launch of single-stock leveraged ETFs in May, saying it might have aggravated market swings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
It was not the first time either Briggs or Murphy had taken positions that aggravated members of their parties in legislatures that have taken sharp turns to the right.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
A famine caused by an inadequate Nile flood in 245 aggravated native resentment against the Greek monarchy and the burdensome cost of its imperial rivalries.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
