aggravate
verb (used with object)
to make worse or more severe; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome.
aggravates
-
present tense formof aggravate (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
NOx is a smog-forming pollutant that aggravates respiratory illnesses, especially asthma, forms acid rain and contributes to nutrient pollution in coastal waters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
The document asks all the right questions and reaches all the wrong conclusions—the way a doctor might correctly identify symptoms and then prescribe a remedy that aggravates the disease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Padgett prays daily to help him manage the pain of his third bout of cancer and the multiple herniated disks that sleeping on the ground aggravates.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2025
Or, if not that, he aggravates an existing tendency to rebrand the furthering of stereotypes and dangerous misinformation as “a difference of opinion.”
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2024
It wouldn't hurt if he weren't right—if I hadn't known somewhere that my weakness aggravates him.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
