1
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
a reminder designed to prevent the aggravation of phones ringing during movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
the neighbors' constant aggravations prompted us to move out of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in frustration
the feeling of impatience or anger caused by another's repeated disagreeable acts
informed her children that she didn't need the extra aggravation of hearing them fight in the back seat while they were stuck in traffic
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 aggravation
Ghost runners and pitch counts and walk-up music that turns into an earworm are all modern-day aggravations that won’t soon go away.
—
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Sahil was initially charged with DUI causing injury and vehicular manslaughter, along with enhancements for causing great bodily injury, having an excessive blood-alcohol content and circumstances in aggravation.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026
In true February college basketball fashion, Tang unleashed his aggravation about his torpedoing season.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The other key context of Tuesday’s aggravation is the looming NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravation
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Sahil was initially charged with DUI causing injury and vehicular manslaughter, along with enhancements for causing great bodily injury, having an excessive blood-alcohol content and circumstances in aggravation.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026
In true February college basketball fashion, Tang unleashed his aggravation about his torpedoing season.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The other key context of Tuesday’s aggravation is the looming NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravation
Noun
-
Magic Mountain removed Revolution’s simple lap bars in 1992 and installed over-the-shoulder restraints — resulting in head-banging headaches for dismayed riders and making the coaster painfully unrideable.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
Some people dealing with the infection, called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), can have headaches, dizziness, chills and stomach problems.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
An ally in public As the MeToo movement focused attention on women facing harassment in the workplace, Swalwell publicly positioned himself as a champion of women.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
-
Facing these smear-site claims, Baldoni in particular was still loathed to cop to any of the harassment or digital punking, sources tell me.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Most fans understand that the need for more professional-caliber resources wasn’t going to be met under Mohegan Tribe ownership, but there is deep frustration over the Sun’s relocation out of New England.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But for the residents and business-owners, the possibility of another set of G train outage evoked frustration after two years of service suspensions while crews worked to upgrade the signaling system on the Crosstown Line.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For a league still trying to grow its footprint, treating media availability like a nuisance is a curious growth strategy.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
The second phase of the proceedings, known as a juryless bench trial, will establish over a three-week period if Meta’s actions created a public nuisance, thus warranting potential product changes.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
But, in historic gold-rush regions, prospectors use it to identify disturbances in the landscape that are suggestive of former mining operations, in the hope of finding overlooked stores.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Talks to purchase the animals began months before the April disturbance, and Simmons said her group wasn’t connected to the protests.—
David Fischer,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Until the time of surgery if it is warranted, sometimes using saline flushes or eye lubricants can minimize irritation of the eyes.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Those are paired with a soothing lineup of Centella asiatica, madecassoside, panthenol, and allantoin to keep skin balanced (as irritation can worsen pigmentation).—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Compile receipts and expense notes Probably a major annoyance is uploading your receipts for reimbursement, but Dispatch handled that quickly.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the annoyances, the smile is genuine.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But exasperation took over, and the goals snowballed into a lopsided loss.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
-
Lane uses his loud, outside voice to excellent effect, his shouts of exasperation and anger giving way to instant regret and recrimination.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggravation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravation. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
