aggravate

verb

ag·gra·vate | \ˈa-grə-ˌvāt

aggravated; aggravating

Definition of aggravate

1 : to make worse, more serious, or more severe : to intensify unpleasantly problems have been aggravated by neglect

2a : to rouse to displeasure or anger by usually persistent and often petty goading were aggravated by the noise and traffic

b : to produce inflammation in

3 obsolete

a : to make heavy : burden

b : increase

Synonyms & Antonyms Common Uses of Aggravate, Aggravation, and Aggravating: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about aggravate

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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.

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

The rules are aimed at cutting pollution from commercial ships burning high-sulfur fuel, which causes respiratory ailments and can aggravate heart disease. — Benoit Faucon, WSJ, "U.S. Seeks More Time for Ships to Switch to Cleaner Fuels," 18 Oct. 2018 Some in Europe suspect that Trump is also trying to use the energy issue as a means of prolonging Europe’s dependence on the US – and perhaps even dominating it by aggravating divisions between Europe’s east and west. — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, "How strong a Europe does US want? In Trump era, that's still the issue.," 13 July 2018 In a separate 2018 case, Chu was sentenced to four months in prison and three years of probation in connection with aggravated DUI. — Kelsey Mo, azcentral, "Stanley Chu sentenced to 15-year prison term for fatal 2016 crash in Tempe," 13 July 2018 Orlando police arrested Joseph for attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon a month ago. — Maria Elena Vizcaino, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando 17-year-old charged as adult in attempted murder of stepfather, records show," 11 July 2018 Her potent debut feature, Down to the Bone (2004), gave Vera Farmiga a breakout role as a working-class mom fighting cocaine addiction in upstate New York, her rocky personal situation aggravated by the family's nickeled-and-dimed existence. — J.r. Jones, Chicago Reader, "Leave No Trace approaches homelessness on the most intimate terms," 11 July 2018 In addition to the felony aggravated assault by vehicle charges, Spencer is also charged with two counts of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, accident involving death/personal injury while not properly licensed. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "Pennsylvania Man Allegedly Steals His Mother's Car and Runs Her Over: 'I Think I Killed My Mom!'," 9 July 2018 McCann, 34, went on the disabled list last August and aggravated his ailing knee during Game 2 of the American League Division Series last year against the Red Sox. — David Barron, Houston Chronicle, "Astros catcher Brian McCann says he will return during season," 7 July 2018 Fans and central air conditioning or heating may contribute to dry room air, causing or aggravating dry skin. — Adam Hurly, GQ, "How to Fix Your Dehydrated Skin," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aggravate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.