Synonyms

aggravating

American

[ag-ruh-vey-ting] / ˈæg rəˌveɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

causing or full of aggravation.

I've had an aggravating day.

Other Word Forms

aggravatingly adverb
unaggravating adjective

Etymology

Origin of aggravating

First recorded in 1630–40; aggravat(e) + -ing ²

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.

“The AI Doc” is a well-intentioned but aggravating soup of information and opinion that wants to move at the speed of machine thought.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

He withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational after aggravating his back in a pre-round gym session.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

But by choking off agricultural production, transport and markets, Rwanda’s M23 allies are aggravating Congo’s hunger crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

All of this makes for an exasperating experience, but what’s most aggravating is that we’ve stood for this for so long.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026

“All the more reason to go,” he said, with a smile I would have found appealing if his flippancy wasn’t so aggravating.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023