aggravate

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verb

Definition of AGGRAVATE

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>

Synonyms aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex

Related Words hassle, heckle; nag; inflame (also enflame), provoke, rouse; badger, bait, bullyrag (also ballyrag), 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 Antonyms 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 racial tension in the city>

Synonyms aggravate, complicate, worsen

Related Words amplify, deepen, intensify, magnify

Near Antonyms ameliorate, better, improve

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