aggravate
verb
Amy AdamsJessica Rendall
Common Uses of Aggravate, Aggravation, and Aggravating: Usage Guide
Although aggravate has been used to refer to rousing someone to anger since the 17th century, it has been the object of disapproval only since about 1870. It is used in expository prose
William Styron
but seems to be more common in speech and casual writing.
Jackie Gleason, interview, 1986
Mark Twain, letter, 1864
The "make worse" meaning is far more common in published prose than the "rouse to anger" meaning. Such is not the case, however, with aggravation and aggravating. Aggravation is used in the "irritation, provocation" sense somewhat more than in its earlier senses; aggravating has practically no use other than to express annoyance.
Synonyms
Examples of aggravate in a Sentence
Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Among the service pricing changes were additional limitations imposed by the guidelines that have aggravated location budgets.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
In October, the teen admitted to arson, aggravated criminal damage and four accusations of endangerment with risk of imminent death.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
And the president-elect you're aggravated with will have to share the limited power of the federal government with 535 lawmakers in Congress and several hundred federal judges and justices.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aggravate 
Articles Related to aggravate
Dictionary Entries Near aggravate
Cite this Entry
“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggravate. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aggravate
verb
from Latin aggravare "to make heavier," from ad- "to" and gravare "to burden," from gravis "heavy" — related to grave entry 3, gravity, grieve
Medical Definition
aggravate
transitive verb
Legal Definition
aggravate
transitive verb
Share