aggravating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈa-grə-ˌvā-tiŋ How to pronounce aggravating (audio)
Definition of aggravatingnext
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

aggravating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of aggravate
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

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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 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 aggravating
Adjective
The personal-conduct policy also cites violence against a pregnant woman as an aggravating factor when considering the severity of punishment. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 15 June 2026 Prosecutors said the jury’s conviction included aggravating factors for crimes that involved great violence, great bodily harm, a threat of great bodily harm and violence with a serious danger to society. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2026
Verb
That number has remained stubbornly static, aggravating inhumane consequences of long-term homelessness. — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 Their drama is already stale, and between Nathan’s touchiness and Joe’s mistreatment of women, their fight over who is a better guy, a better seaman, a better worker, a better boyfriend is disengaging at best and aggravating at worst. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravating
  1. annoying
  2. irritating
  3. worsening
  4. frustrating
  5. bothering
  6. deepening
  7. disturbing
  8. bugging
Adjective
  • This is a realm of exposition-heavy opening credits, relentlessly earwormy theme tunes, and heroes who, for no obvious reason, choose to hang out with cute/annoying [delete as appropriate] comedy sidekicks like Orko and Snarf.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
  • This would have evoked annoying memories of the 0-0 draw against Morocco in 2022 and 1-1 draw with Russia in 2018 for Spain.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • Unanswered workplace messages are a common, irritating phenomenon, often perceived as deliberate avoidance despite recipients being active elsewhere.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Morales turns another character who can be irritating into one whose lot, and whose needs, demands attention.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Accelerating these efforts is crucial to protect children from worsening climate impacts.
    — Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Over several days, the boy was taken to clinics and emergency rooms as doctors searched for the cause of his worsening symptoms, the report said.
    — Sophie Ziedalski, NBC news, 2 July 2026
Definition of worsening
Adjective
  • Two months after another frustrating playoff finish, the 76ers now look ahead with a reasonable expectation to be among the conference favorites next season.
    — Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Residents said the latest delay is especially frustrating because the pool also remained closed for much of last summer after a water line ruptured while it was being filled.
    — Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Travis was snapped having a blast bothering Jason as the duo attended a match between Jupiter Links GC and The Bay Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 3.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • For now, the Royals hope to figure out exactly what’s bothering him.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • Trump later dropped it, but still threatened tariffs against those who opposed his grab — deepening the rift.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Europe’s strategic periphery is not only integral to European security but is actively deepening transatlantic tensions and sharpening intra-European divisions.
    — Galip Dalay, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of deepening
Adjective
  • And so the disturbing part of the dissent in the mail ballot case was that this was about a very narrow issue, whether ballots that are postmarked by Election Day can be counted if they're received in some period after.
    — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 8 July 2026
  • The film is a modern take on creature horror movies told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
  • His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Definition of bugging

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Cite this Entry

“Aggravating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravating. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on aggravating

Nglish: Translation of aggravating for Spanish Speakers

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