as in annoying
causing annoyance
there's nothing so aggravating as a blaring car alarm that no one is paying any attention to
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in irritating
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worsening
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
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Recent Examples of aggravating
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
In my experience, the future turns out to be not be so much frightening as aggravating.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
After attempting to play through the discomfort, the Nets elected to hold him out to allow the calf to heal fully rather than risk aggravating the injury.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Adjective
Criminal charges dropped As part of McFadden’s plea deal with prosecutors, a felony charge of embezzlement by a clerk or agent against her was dismissed, along with an enhancement that alleged aggravating circumstances.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
In my experience, the future turns out to be not be so much frightening as aggravating.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Daniel Gafford had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks despite aggravating a right ankle injury that has sidelined him for 16 games this season.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
After attempting to play through the discomfort, the Nets elected to hold him out to allow the calf to heal fully rather than risk aggravating the injury.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravating
Adjective
-
Highs come across with sharpness that doesn't stray toward annoying, and the mids are surprisingly full.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
-
There’s still housing, meals, books and annoying fees.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wear gloves to avoid irritating your skin.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Seminole-Palm Harbor contest got a bit dicey in the second half, with questionable calls irritating players, coaches and fans, most notably on the Seminole side.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perched between China and India, the country of 30 million people has been plagued for decades by political instability, crippling a largely agrarian economy and worsening unemployment – structural issues compounded by rampant corruption.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Over 115,000 Afghans and 3,000 Pakistanis have been displaced by the conflict, with the UN warning of worsening humanitarian crises.—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Flagg finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but the Raptors’ eighth-best defense in the NBA sent multiple bodies at him throughout the game and presented an uncomfortable and frustrating playing experience for his first NBA game in Toronto.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Caroline’s anguish and her ineffectuality at making progress in finding Gabriel make for some frustrating moments as a reader.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The song revolves slowly, casting loop against deepening loop, asking for the same careful quality of attention as William Basinski or Stars of the Lid.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Yet many of the old-timers and young tech workers who live here seem to have accepted the coming changes as an unavoidable reality of California’s deepening housing crisis.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What followed was even more disturbing.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
That would be a particularly disturbing piece of real hate mail Kubrin received late last year after she was quoted in a news story about immigration and crime.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And also, Bill has to be home and also not bugging me.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Clara could hear Dune’s sister, Fern, in the background bugging Dune to resume their chess game.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggravating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravating. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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