aggravates

verb

present tense third-person singular of aggravate
1
as in annoys
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

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2
as in deepens
to make more severe overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation

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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 aggravates Regardless, the lure of short-form cricket aggravates the Test situation. — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 But when Dusty takes a tumble and aggravates his old wrist injury, that puts him out of the running. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026 The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. — Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 The light that aggravates her pigmentation isn't only coming from the sky. — Angela Haupt, Time, 7 July 2026 What’s clear is that obesity aggravates matters. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 26 June 2026 Mercury aggravates Jupiter, intensifying your vulnerability in creative or romantic situations. — Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026 Flood conditions in Northern Lower Michigan have become increasingly dire in recent days, as heavy rainfall aggravates the winter snowmelt in the region. — Terrance Friday, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026 Smoke from wildfires penetrates deep into the lungs and aggravates respiratory disease more than any other type of pollution. — Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravates
  1. annoys
  2. deepens
  3. bothers
  4. complicates
  5. irritates
  6. exacerbates
  7. persecutes
  8. worsens
Verb
  • Hotel-booking platform HotelTonight surveyed 447 of its American adult users in June about what annoys them the most during travel.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 21 July 2026
  • But Turner is a symbol for everything that annoys people about the Phillies.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of annoys
Verb
  • Beavers tied it in the sixth off Fernando Cruz with an opposite-field drive to left — just to the right of where the wall out there deepens.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Leaders should ask whether a new location grows the customer base, deepens existing relationships, or increases purchase frequency or spending enough to offset channel substitution.
    — Ayşe Çetinel, Harvard Business Review, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepens
Verb
  • Repel Mice Ultrasonic mouse repellers emit high-frequency sound waves that humans can’t hear, but the high pitch bothers mice.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
  • My concern is what happens when the signal becomes so established that nobody bothers separating it from the qualities it was supposed to represent.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothers
Verb
  • Fred’s body is taken over by the Old One Illyria, which complicates the grief, both for the viewer and for Wesley.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Guerra said the reversal nevertheless complicates a narrative Bass had been able to make about declines in homelessness during her tenure.
    — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicates
Verb
  • The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
  • Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates.
    — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026
Definition of irritates
Verb
  • Economic hardship for working families and young people exacerbates their frustration and disenfranchisement, while a tepid Democratic leadership response adds to anti-establishment sentiment.
    — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The fact that the United States often has bases in or near these countries exacerbates the dynamic.
    — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exacerbates
Verb
  • China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.
    — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Definition of persecutes
Verb
  • That difference may become more obvious if the weather suddenly worsens.
    — Alex Shahidi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In homes where indoor air quality was measured, kitchen nitrogen dioxide levels, which worsens asthma, also fell dramatically.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsens

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Cite this Entry

“Aggravates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravates. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of aggravates for Spanish Speakers

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