aggravate

verb

ˈa-grə-ˌvāt How to pronounce aggravate (audio)
Definition of aggravatenext
1
as in to annoy
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 & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to worsen
to make more severe overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of aggravate The star guard returned from a back injury aggravated during the June 24 game against the Phoenix Mercury and scored just nine points in 16 minutes. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 But the irritation in his left knee, which is aggravated by pitching, continues to be a problem. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 The light that aggravates her pigmentation isn't only coming from the sky. — Angela Haupt, Time, 7 July 2026 The prospect of a lost season would aggravate some members of Congress and their constituents. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravate
  1. annoy
  2. worsen
  3. irritate
  4. deepen
  5. bother
  6. exacerbate
  7. bug
  8. intensify
Verb
  • Paraguay’s tactics, seeking to frustrate and disrupt France, had annoyed Henry as well as the current team and coach.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Others are annoyed that its ambiguous language will create confusion over how — or if — the state will enforce compliance.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • For example, Gjoni says worsening insulin resistance and declining metabolic health can appear in bloodwork years before a diabetes diagnosis.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 July 2026
  • Healthcare staffing challenges will likely worsen, according to a 2025 US Health Resources and Services Administration projection, with the agency predicting a shortage of 70,610 primary care doctors by 2038.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of worsen
Verb
  • Avoid potentially irritating actives Immediately after shaving is not the time to reach for your strongest skin-care products.
    — Emma-Jade Stoddart, Glamour, 5 July 2026
  • While some of my linen pieces feel scratchy, this one is ultra soft and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • Records showing the Cuban government has secretly stockpiled cash as people on the island cook their food over firewood has only deepened the sentiment that the government in Havana must go.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
  • This move completes Meta's ad automation, offering advertisers free creative variations and deepening platform dependence.
    — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of deepen
Verb
  • The tequila shrimp empanadas disappear quickly, while the huitlacoche quesadilla folds Oaxaca cheese, mushrooms, roasted corn, and salsa macha crema into something deeper and earthier than most Midtown menus bother attempting.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
  • Maybe altering the letters bothered her most because publication inevitably makes the integrity of a letter—the message from writer to recipient—secondary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • European countries are increasingly left without any cushion to manage shocks, further exacerbating their negative effects.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026
  • This oversight could exacerbate youth unemployment, as AI automates entry-level tasks that once built these essential interpersonal skills.
    — Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of exacerbate
Verb
  • Instead, as Laura bugs her sister long enough about just forgiving her already, Mary explodes.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • The group alleged that as well as hacking their phones, journalists from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday tapped landlines and bugged houses and cars.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of bug
Verb
  • Monsoon season and an intensifying El Niño are also underway and could bring more chances for rain to the region.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Uganda has been a source of stability in a volatile region, but intensifying authoritarianism warrants a review of the United States’ relationship with one of its most important security and counterterrorism partners in East Africa.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of intensify

Browse Nearby Words

aggrandizing
aggravate
aggravated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravate. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on aggravate

Nglish: Translation of aggravate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All