- present participle of aggravate.
aggravating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
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 around kids her own age, Bonnie is so timid she becomes aggravating to watch.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
It specified 10 aggravating factors, the presence of which would allow a jury to return a death sentence in the belief that such “guided discretion” would pass constitutional muster.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
He said the international community needed to do more to prevent foreign trawlers operating illegally in the region, aggravating locals.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
She said Swalwell’s denials of the online accusations in the week leading up to the stories’ publication were aggravating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Ah reckon dey never hit us ah lick amiss ’cause dem three boys and us two girls wuz pretty aggravating Ah speck.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
