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
Relevance
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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of aggravating
Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026
There is nothing more aggravating than a fly buzzing around your head (well, other than a mosquito).
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Currie Engel, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Adjective
Sitting back for 40 long, exhausting, aggravating minutes.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026
There is nothing more aggravating than a fly buzzing around your head (well, other than a mosquito).
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Verb
Exercises like Romanian deadlifts, reverse lunges, and band walks can build strength without aggravating the knees.
—Currie Engel, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravating
Adjective
-
He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
-
Why Microsoft passkeys may feel confusing at first Security upgrades can be annoying.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Key Points Cayenne pepper can deter squirrels by irritating their senses without causing harm.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
-
When midges bite, a small welt can emerge that can be itchy and irritating.—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The attack in al-Murrah, near contested Barah, underscores RSF’s tightening hold over resource-rich Darfur and Kordofan and the worsening humanitarian crisis engulfing civilians.—
Fatma Khaled,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
New pipelines and fossil fuel plants generate millions of dollars for fossil fuel companies and utilities, while locking young people into decades more of pollution and worsening climate change.—
Sydney Collins,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
No longer being completely bound to a relaxer, these four women began navigating the fun, at times frustrating, terrain of natural hair care.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
29 May 2026
-
When to See a Doctor For the vast majority of new parents, dry skin is a temporary, frustrating nuisance that resolves as your hormones stabilize and your body adjusts to its new rhythm.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The tears then started to flow, as Zheng took deep breaths and explained that the foot issue was to reapply tape to a foot blister that had been bothering her.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
At the same time, the regime has stopped bothering to sell a narrative of national restoration or modernization to the rest of the country, which is losing enormous amounts of blood and treasure in the battlefields of Ukraine.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.—
Matt O’Brien,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Housing costs have soared, deepening affordability worries and homelessness.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
OpenAI had previously flagged her ChatGPT conversations as having a disturbing fascination with extreme violence, and suspended her account, but reportedly the company did not notify law enforcement.—
Anat Lior,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
-
In an hour-and-a-half interview with the New York Times Popcast that dropped on Thursday, Rodrigo staunchly defended the dress and called the criticism disturbing.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Get clear about what’s bugging you.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggravating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravating. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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