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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s all fittingly itchy for literature’s most aggravating couple and a story that chafes against the convention that love wins — or even that love is good.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Reaves is approaching the four-week point after aggravating his calf injury on Christmas Day.

From Los Angeles Times

After aggravating the injury on Christmas Day, Reaves was ruled out for at least a month before he would be reevaluated.

From Los Angeles Times

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