aggravating
adjective
ag·gra·vat·ing
ˈa-grə-ˌvā-tiŋ 
1
informal
: arousing displeasure, impatience, or anger
an aggravating habit
2
: increasing the seriousness of (a crime)
aggravating circumstances like recklessness
Usage of Aggravate, Aggravated, Aggravating, and Aggravation
Aggravate can mean both "to make worse or more serious" and "to make angry or irritated especially by bothering again and again," but writers for most of the 20th century were advised against the latter, and this meaning is still not encountered frequently in formal contexts. Likewise, the meanings of aggravated, aggravating, and aggravation that relate to anger or irritation are most at home in informal use.
Examples of aggravating in a Sentence
there's nothing so aggravating as a blaring car alarm that no one is paying any attention to
Recent Examples on the Web
As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of embezzlement by a clerk or agent, along with an enhancement alleging aggravating circumstances.
—
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
But during a press conference following the hearing, Held and the attorneys said aggravating circumstances in the case should meet the legal threshold for the battery case to be charged as a felony.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
The switcheroo that the director pulls between the two protagonists, starting her film with Said but then losing him for a chunk of the running time, can also prove a bit aggravating, especially because actor Letifov (who was also in Western) has such a photogenic face.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
Ellis was convicted last month of seven counts of robbery and felony evasion; he was also found to have had two previous strike convictions and multiple aggravating factors during the trial, the DA's Office said.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
But during a press conference following the hearing, Held and the attorneys said aggravating circumstances in the case should meet the legal threshold for the battery case to be charged as a felony.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
The switcheroo that the director pulls between the two protagonists, starting her film with Said but then losing him for a chunk of the running time, can also prove a bit aggravating, especially because actor Letifov (who was also in Western) has such a photogenic face.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
Ellis was convicted last month of seven counts of robbery and felony evasion; he was also found to have had two previous strike convictions and multiple aggravating factors during the trial, the DA's Office said.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Cite this Entry
“Aggravating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggravating. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
