Aggravating — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈa-grə-ˌvā-tiŋ/ ag·gra·vat·ing

Meaning & Definition of Aggravating

Aggravating (adjective)

  1. arousing displeasure, impatience, or anger
  2. increasing the seriousness of (a crime)

Aggravating (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing annoyance

    "there's nothing so aggravating as a blaring car alarm that no one is paying any attention to"

    similar: abrasive, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, maddening, nettlesome, nettling, peeving, pesky, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pesty, plaguey, rankling, rebarbative, riling, vexatious, vexing
    related: burdensome, discomforting, displeasing, disquieting, distressing, importunate, importune, inconveniencing, angering, enraging, infuriating, brattish, bratty, mischievous, offensive, troublesome, upsetting, distractive, painful, stressful, tiresome, troubling, trying, worrisome, biting, grating, jangling, jarring, spiny, thorny
    near: delightful, pleasing

Aggravating (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: annoying, bothering, bugging, burning (up), chafing, eating, exasperating, frosting, galling, getting, grating, griping, hacking (off), irking, irritating, itching, narking (British), nettling, peeving, persecuting, piquing, putting out, rasping, riling, ruffling, spiting, vexing, getting one's goat, getting on one's nerves, getting to, rubbing the wrong way, setting one's teeth on edge, sticking in one's craw, wearing on
    related: hassling, heckling, nagging, inflaming, provoking, rousing, badgering, baiting, bullyragging, deviling, hagriding, harassing, harrying, pestering, plaguing, teasing, angering, antagonizing, enraging, incensing, infuriating, maddening, rankling, roiling, agitating, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, exercising, freaking (out), fretting, perturbing, undoing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, worrying, affronting, insulting, miffing, offending, outraging
    near: appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, obliging, pacifying, placating, propitiating, delighting, gladdening, gratifying, pleasing, satisfying, assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, contenting, quieting, reassuring, solacing, soothing

  2. to make more severe

    "overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation"

    similar: complicating, exacerbating, worsening
    related: amplifying, deepening, intensifying, magnifying
    opposite: allaying, alleviating, assuaging, easing, helping, mitigating, relieving
    near: ameliorating, bettering, improving

Related Entry: Aggravate (verb)

Aggravate is a different word from Aggravating. The synonyms below are for aggravate, not for aggravating.

  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 Aggravating

The most common words with a similar meaning to Aggravating:

British: narking
abrasive, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, maddening, nettlesome, nettling, peeving, pesky, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pesty, plaguey, rankling, rebarbative, riling, vexatious, vexing, bothering, bugging, burning (up), eating, frosting, getting, grating, griping, hacking (off), irking, itching, persecuting, piquing, putting out

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Aggravating

Words with the opposite meaning of Aggravating:

allaying, alleviating, assuaging, easing, helping, mitigating, relieving

Related Words for Aggravating

burdensome, discomforting, displeasing, disquieting, distressing, importunate, importune, inconveniencing, angering, enraging, infuriating, brattish, bratty, mischievous, offensive, troublesome, upsetting, distractive, painful, stressful, tiresome, troubling, trying, worrisome, biting, jangling, jarring, spiny, thorny, hassling

Near Antonyms of Aggravating

delightful, pleasing, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, obliging, pacifying, placating, propitiating, delighting, gladdening, gratifying, satisfying, assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, contenting, quieting, reassuring, solacing, soothing, ameliorating, bettering, improving

Origin & Etymology of Aggravating

from present participle of aggravate

First known use: 1673

Frequently Asked Questions about Aggravating

What does "Aggravating" mean?

"Aggravating" means arousing displeasure, impatience, or anger. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: arousing displeasure, impatience, or anger. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Aggravating"?

Other words for "Aggravating" include abrasive, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating and frustrating. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Aggravating" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Aggravating"?

There are 121 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Aggravating". Common alternatives include abrasive, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling and irksome.

What is the opposite of "Aggravating"?

Antonyms of "Aggravating" include allaying, alleviating, assuaging, easing, helping, mitigating and relieving. Near antonyms include delightful, pleasing, appeasing and conciliating.

How do you use "Aggravating" in a sentence?

Examples of "Aggravating" in a sentence: "there's nothing so aggravating as a blaring car alarm that no one is paying any attention to"; "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 "Aggravating" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Aggravating" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Aggravating"?

"Aggravating" is pronounced /ˈa-grə-ˌvā-tiŋ/ and divided into syllables as ag·gra·vat·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Aggravating"?

"Aggravating" comes from from present participle of aggravate. First known use: 1673.