aggravate

1 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 irritate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vexRelated Words hassle, heckle; nag; inflame (also enflame), provoke, rouse; badger, bait, bullyrag (also ballyrag), devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease; anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil; agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry; affront, insult, miff, offend, outrageNear Antonyms appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate; delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy; assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

2 to make more severe overheated rhetoric that only aggravated racial tension in the city Synonyms exacerbate, complicate, worsenRelated Words amplify, deepen, intensify, magnifyNear Antonyms ameliorate, better, improveAntonyms allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate, relieve