aggravate

verb

ag·​gra·​vate ˈa-grə-ˌvāt 

aggravated; aggravating; aggravates

transitive verb

1

: to make (something) worse, more serious, or more severe : to intensify (something) unpleasantly

His back injury was aggravated by too much exercise.

They're afraid that we might aggravate an already bad situation.

2

a

: to make (someone) angry or irritated especially by bothering again and again

The neighbors were aggravated by the noise from the construction.

I'm so silly with my daughter, I think it aggravates her at this point.

—Amy Adams

b

: to produce inflammation in (a part of the body) : irritate

… contact wearers may be especially vulnerable to pollen or other irritants that can aggravate the eyes …

—Jessica Rendall

3

obsolete

a

: burden

b

: increase

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

when his silly conceit … about his not-very-good early work has begun to aggravate us

—William Styron

but seems to be more common in speech and casual writing.

a good profession for him, because bus drivers get aggravated

—Jackie Gleason, interview, 1986

& now this letter comes to aggravate me a thousand times worse

—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

• annoy
• irritate
• bother
• bug
• persecute

Examples of aggravate in a Sentence

She aggravated an old knee injury.

They're afraid that we might aggravate an already bad situation.

A headache can be aggravated by too much exercise.

The symptoms were aggravated by drinking alcohol.

All of these delays really aggravate me.

Our neighbors were aggravated by all the noise.

Recent Examples on the Web

Land-use experts warned that pushing the density levels too high would not only aggravate the surrounding neighborhoods but also potentially impact the project’s ability to be built. —Devan Patel, Mercury News, 28 June 2025

Arizona first baseman Josh Naylor was removed from the game in the seventh inning after apparently aggravating a right shoulder injury. —Miami Herald, 28 June 2025

Ripe bananas are high in oligo-fructans, which may cause gastrointestinal distress and aggravate symptoms in people with IBS. —Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 25 June 2025

He was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter and felony aggravated DUI. —Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 24 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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" — more at grave entry 2

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Rhymes for aggravate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

aggravate

verb

ag·​gra·​vate ˈag-rə-ˌvāt 

aggravated; aggravating

1

: to make more serious or severe

aggravate an injury

2

: to make angry by bothering again and again

Etymology

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

ag·​gra·​vate ˈag-rə-ˌvāt 

aggravated; aggravating

1

: to make worse, more serious, or more severe

movement may aggravate the pain

2

: to produce inflammation in : irritate

surgery aggravated the nerve

Legal Definition

aggravate

transitive verb

ag·​gra·​vate ˈa-grə-ˌvāt 

aggravated; aggravating

: to make more serious, more severe, or worse

maliciousness aggravated the offense

aggravating factors

compare mitigate

aggravation

ˌa-grə-ˈvā-shən 

noun