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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deepens
to make more severe
overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of aggravates
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
In the extreme off-chance that Darnold doesn’t play or aggravates the injury, the Seahawks would call upon Drew Lock, who has just three regular season passing attempts on the year.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Nathan tells him to get in the water in order to fix the hooks and ropes, but Max stands on the Jet Ski instead, which aggravates the bosun.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
Climate change exacerbates chronic and contagious disease, worsens food and water shortages, increases the risk of pandemics, and aggravates mass displacement.
—Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2019
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
In the extreme off-chance that Darnold doesn’t play or aggravates the injury, the Seahawks would call upon Drew Lock, who has just three regular season passing attempts on the year.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Nathan tells him to get in the water in order to fix the hooks and ropes, but Max stands on the Jet Ski instead, which aggravates the bosun.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
Climate change exacerbates chronic and contagious disease, worsens food and water shortages, increases the risk of pandemics, and aggravates mass displacement.
—Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravates
Verb
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The nostalgia trip deepens into adolescent memories of 2000s tech touchpoints.—
Nathan Evans,
Pitchfork,
12 May 2026
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Don’t skip the almond extract—a small splash deepens the cherry flavor and gives the filling its bakery-style aroma.—
Claire Saffitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
This is hurtful and bothers me a lot.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
My fiance struggles with communication and tends to pretend nothing bothers him.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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What further complicates the picture is a seemingly relentless appetite for trading, which directly benefits a small corner of the financial sector.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
-
All this complicates a tug toward pure nostalgia.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
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Daisy is caught so off guard that her first reaction is to laugh, which irritates Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Gallup poll found that around half of Americans report feeling stressed in their daily lives, a factor the American Psychological Association says can further degrade sleep quality, which in turn exacerbates stress.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
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The scarcity of facilities exacerbates the problem of families having to travel sometimes long distances to visit their disabled children, the court found, further isolating the kids.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As the illness worsens, more severe symptoms can develop, like coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath as fluid builds up in the lungs.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
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Pain in the hand, wrist and thumb that worsens or prevents you from gripping, pinching or holding items.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggravates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravates. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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