aggravating

[ag-ruh-vey-ting]

adjective

1. causing or full of aggravation.

   I've had an aggravating day.

Other Word Forms

• aggravatingly adverb
• unaggravating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aggravating¹

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

Example Sentences

India will not play skipper Shubman Gill in the second Test against South Africa on Saturday if it risks aggravating his neck injury, a team coach said.

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Machar was sacked as vice-president and arrested earlier this year and in September charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity in a move seen as aggravating tensions and sparking fears of renewed civil unrest.

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“The Department followed this guidance, reporting only those cases with aggravating factors. In 2024, the Department adopted a new standard of reporting all allegations of domestic battery, regardless of severity.”

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Judge Gilpin said the suspended sentence was based on the circumstances of the accident without aggravating features and the length of time driving with no criminal record.

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That lethargy, meteorologists warn, could be catastrophic as it means that a hurricane can bring rain to a single location for days on end, aggravating flooding.

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Related Words

• alarming 
• annoying 
• bothersome 
• creepy 
• depressing 
• disconcerting 
• discouraging www.thesaurus.com
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• embarrassing www.thesaurus.com
• frightening www.thesaurus.com
• irritating 
• ominous 
• painful 
• perplexing 
• sinister 
• startling 
• threatening 
• troublesome 
• troubling www.thesaurus.com
• unpleasant