Aggravate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈa-grə-ˌvāt/ ag·gra·vate

Meaning & Definition of Aggravate

Aggravate (verb)

  1. to make (something) worse, more serious, or more severe, to intensify (something) unpleasantly
  2. to make (someone) angry or irritated especially by bothering again and again
  3. to produce inflammation in (a part of the body), irritate

Aggravate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

    "it really aggravates me when I arrive 10 minutes before the stated closing time, and the store's closed already"

    similar: annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, irritate, itch, nark (British), nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex, get one's goat, get on one's nerves, get to, rub the wrong way, set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw, wear on
    related: hassle, heckle, nag, inflame, provoke, rouse, badger, bait, bullyrag, devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease, anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil, agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry, affront, insult, miff, offend, outrage
    near: appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

  2. to make more severe

    "overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation"

    similar: complicate, exacerbate, worsen
    related: amplify, deepen, intensify, magnify
    opposite: allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate, relieve
    near: ameliorate, better, improve

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Aggravate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Aggravate:

British: nark
annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, irritate, itch, nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex, complicate, exacerbate, worsen, get one's goat, get on one's nerves, get to, rub the wrong way, set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw, wear on

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Aggravate

Words with the opposite meaning of Aggravate:

allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate, relieve

Related Words for Aggravate

hassle, heckle, nag, inflame, provoke, rouse, badger, bait, bullyrag, devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease, anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil, agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise

Near Antonyms of Aggravate

appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe, ameliorate, better, improve

Word Forms of Aggravate

Inflections: aggravated, aggravating, aggravates

Origin & Etymology of Aggravate

borrowed from Latin aggravātus, past participle of aggravāre "to weigh down, burden, oppress, make worse," from ad- ad- + gravāre "to make heavy, oppress, weigh heavily upon," verbal derivative of gravis "heavy" grave:2

First known use: 1530

Frequently Asked Questions about Aggravate

What does "Aggravate" mean?

"Aggravate" means to make (something) worse, more serious, or more severe, to intensify (something) unpleasantly. As a verb, it is defined as: to make (something) worse, more serious, or more severe, to intensify (something) unpleasantly. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Aggravate"?

Other words for "Aggravate" include annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate and frost. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Aggravate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Aggravate"?

There are 84 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Aggravate". Common alternatives include annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall and get.

What is the opposite of "Aggravate"?

Antonyms of "Aggravate" include allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate and relieve. Near antonyms include appease, conciliate, mollify and oblige.

How do you use "Aggravate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Aggravate" in a sentence: "it really aggravates me when I arrive 10 minutes before the stated closing time, and the store's closed already"; "overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation".

Is "Aggravate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Aggravate" is a verb.

How do you pronounce "Aggravate"?

"Aggravate" is pronounced /ˈa-grə-ˌvāt/ and divided into syllables as ag·gra·vate.

What is the origin of the word "Aggravate"?

"Aggravate" comes from borrowed from Latin aggravātus, past participle of aggravāre "to weigh down, burden, oppress, make worse," from ad- ad- + gravāre "to make heavy, oppress, weigh heavily upon," verbal derivative of gravis "heavy" grave:2. First known use: 1530.