aggravating

[ag-ruh-vey-ting]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aggravating ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

causing or full of aggravation: I've had an aggravating day.

Origin of aggravating

First recorded in 1630–40; aggravate + -ing²

Related formsag·gra·vat·ing·ly, adverbun·ag·gra·vat·ing, adjective

aggravate

[ag-ruh-veyt]

verb (used with object), ag·gra·vat·ed, ag·gra·vat·ing.

to make worse or more severe; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome: to aggravate a grievance; to aggravate an illness.

to annoy; irritate; exasperate: His questions aggravate her.

to cause to become irritated or inflamed: The child's constant scratching aggravated the rash.

Origin of aggravate

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin aggravātus (past participle of aggravāre), equivalent to ag- ag- + grav- (see grave²) + -ātus -ate¹; cf. aggrieve

Related formsag·gra·va·tive, adjectiveag·gra·va·tor, nouno·ver·ag·gra·vate, verb (used with object), o·ver·ag·gra·vat·ed, o·ver·ag·gra·vat·ing.pre·ag·gra·vate, verb (used with object), pre·ag·gra·vat·ed, pre·ag·gra·vat·ing.re·ag·gra·vate, verb (used with object), re·ag·gra·vat·ed, re·ag·gra·vat·ing.

Can be confusedaggravate annoy irritateaggravate intensify worsen (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms for aggravate

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aggravate ON THESAURUS.COM

1. heighten, increase. 2. anger, vex, rile.

Synonym study

1. 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.

Antonyms for aggravate

1. alleviate.

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for aggravating

bother, provoke, irritate, complicate, magnify, exaggerate, worsen, intensify, exacerbate, inflame, enhance, deepen, heighten, pester, needle, nag, exasperate, get, peeve, tease

Examples from the Web for aggravating

Contemporary Examples of aggravating

So while the poor sound quality was aggravating, it was also a signal of some weird legitimacy.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’
Malcolm Jones
November 5, 2014
There are a lot of aggravating myths and narratives in politics.
The Most Annoying Myth in Politics
Jamelle Bouie
February 24, 2014
We all know that spending time with your extended clan over the holidays can be aggravating.
Can Being With Your Family on Thanksgiving Actually Kill You?
Kent Sepkowitz
November 29, 2013
It found a way to make one of the most aggravating aspects of modern American life, air travel, even more aggravating.
Sequestration Empowered President Obama
David Frum
April 25, 2013
But after more than 10 aggravating, exorbitantly expensive and violent years, the world has pretty much had it with Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Mineral Wealth Could Be a Bonanza—or Lead to Disaster
Dr. Cheryl Benard
July 4, 2012

Historical Examples of aggravating

Mrs. Wilkins, of all the aggravating women I ever came across, you are the worst.
The Universal Reciter
Various
"You are so aggravating too, my boy," said the old seaman, with unexpected placidity.
An Outcast of the Islands
Joseph Conrad
What you must do is to pay no attention to her when she is aggravating.
Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore
Pauline Lester
For the symptoms of the night before had developed in a most aggravating way.
A Modern Tomboy
L. T. Meade
They are noisy, vicious, unaccommodating and aggravating to a degree.
The Fifth Battalion Highland Light Infantry in the War 1914-1918
F.L. Morrison

British Dictionary definitions for aggravating

aggravate

verb (tr)

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

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

Derived Formsaggravating, adjectiveaggravation, noun

Word Origin for aggravate

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for aggravating

aggravate

1520s, "make heavy, burden down," from past participle adjective aggravate "burdened; threatened" (late 15c.), from Latin aggravatus, past participle of aggravare "to render more troublesome," literally "to make heavy" (see aggravation). Earlier in this sense was aggrege (late 14c.). Meaning "to make a bad thing worse" is from 1590s; that of "exasperate, annoy" is from 1610s.

To aggravate has properly only one meaning -- to make (an evil) worse or more serious. [Fowler]

Related: Aggravated; aggravating. Phrase aggravating circumstances is recorded from 1790.