aggravation

noun

ag·​gra·​va·​tion ˌa-grə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: an act or circumstance that intensifies something or makes something worse

His interference was an aggravation of the situation.

2

: the act, action, or result of aggravating something or someone

especially : an increasing in seriousness or severity

aggravation of an injury

aggravation of the offense

3

informal : irritation, provocation

Her job involves a lot of stress and aggravation.

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.

Synonyms of aggravation

• headache
• frustration
• nuisance
• annoyance
• inconvenience
• thorn

Examples of aggravation in a Sentence

trying to avoid the aggravation of an existing back problem

I don't need all this aggravation.

This car has caused me nothing but aggravation.

Many talented people now feel that a career in politics isn't worth all the aggravation.

I don't need all these aggravations.

Recent Examples on the Web

The other key context of Tuesday’s aggravation is the looming NBA trade deadline on Thursday. —Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026

Instead, Davis and Irving shared the court just once before Davis exited with an aggravation of his abdominal injury in the third quarter of his Dallas debut. —Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026

This being an aggravation of the previous injury could scare off even more potential suitors. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026

Scott Taetsch / Getty Images From within a tornado of aggravation Sunday evening, Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson sought to provide direction. —Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin aggravātiōn-, aggravātiō "a weighing down," from Latin aggravāre "to weigh down, aggravate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aggravation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

aggravation

noun

ag·​gra·​va·​tion ˌag-rə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the act or result of aggravating

2

: something that aggravates