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

Relevance

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

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. 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
Bagent, though, will also have to resist the urge to press on Sunday, an understandable temptation given the aggravating, albeit minor, interruptions to his growth over the past two months. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 On Friday, Cowles assessed a $100 fine for each of the excess contributions and then doubled the fine, citing the case’s aggravating factors. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
The shutdown, which could last for weeks – the extent of the damage is not yet clear – is aggravating an already tough situation for the global oil market. — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 Ibarra’s assault charge also carries enhancements for causing great bodily injury, aggravating factors and for being previously convicted of multiple felonies, according to court records. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 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
  • Imagine a congressional coalition formed by kicking out the lawmakers, on either side, who are annoying—the Ted Cruzes and the John Fettermans.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, the survey showed that use of the horn is the most common action when drivers consider another driver to be annoying or angering them.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • While the side effects of a histamine release can be irritating, Hwang notes that histamine plays a critical part in your body.
    — Lauren Finney Harden, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • According to royal expert Rob Shuter, the two are having a blast irritating the palace.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • The worsening crisis in the Caribbean country of nearly 12 million people is blamed on a surge in gang violence and displacement, combined with high food and fuel prices and an extreme El Niño weather phenomenon that is threatening food security.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The panel suggested at least a 1 percentage point state income tax surcharge on high incomes, saying Connecticut could raise considerable revenue this way and reverse worsening income and wealth inequality.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsening
Adjective
  • The result can be a frustrating cycle in which borrowers repeatedly pay down balances only to rebuild them when another expense arises.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • And the amount that show business and comedy have changed — the strikes and mergers and COVID and the rest of it — has been really frustrating.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For example, companies that benefit from customers not bothering to cancel subscriptions, compare prices, or search for better deals have taken a beating in recent weeks.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • David Roche, a veteran strategist at Quantum Strategy & Geonomics, said the Arctic's importance lies less in its potential to transform global shipping than in the deepening economic dependence between Russia and China.
    — Lee Ying Shan,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Over the weekend, political leaders from Marsabit County warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis that could overwhelm host communities already struggling with food and water shortages worsened by climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of deepening
Adjective
  • One of the most disturbing reasons given was that the DOT will never install a speed reducer closer than a distance of 1,000 feet (nearly a quarter of a mile) from a speed camera.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Family members reported objects disappearing, beds lifting, unexplained odors, and other disturbing occurrences in the house.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • The Department of Justice’s prosecution of a Saudi national for allegedly bugging an OpenAI conference room is causing anxiety among OpenAI employees, many of whom are foreign nationals.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday, a court granted the US government’s request to deny release of a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a top-secret conference room to steal the frontier lab’s secrets.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bugging

Browse Nearby Words

aggravates
aggravating
aggravation
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Cite this Entry

“Aggravating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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