Nearby Words
Related Questions
verb (used with object), -vat·ed, -vat·ing.
1.
to make worse or more severe; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome: to aggravate a grievance; to aggravate an illness.
2.
to annoy; irritate; exasperate: His questions aggravate her.
3.
to cause to become irritated or inflamed: The child's constant scratching aggravated the rash.
Origin:
1425–75; late Middle English < Latin aggravātus (past participle of aggravāre), equivalent to ag- ag- + grav- (see grave2) + -ātus -ate1; compare aggrieve
1425–75; late Middle English < Latin aggravātus (past participle of aggravāre), equivalent to ag- ag- + grav- (see grave2) + -ātus -ate1; compare aggrieve
Related forms
ag·gra·va·tive, adjective
ag·gra·va·tor, noun
o·ver·ag·gra·vate, verb (used with object), -vat·ed, -vat·ing.
pre·ag·gra·vate, verb (used with object), -vat·ed, -vat·ing.
re·ag·gra·vate, verb (used with object), -vat·ed, -vat·ing.
Can be confused: aggravate, annoy, intensify, irritate, worsen (see usage note at the current entry; see synonym note at irritate).
Synonyms
1. heighten, increase. Aggravate, intensify both mean to increase in degree. To aggravate is to make more serious or more grave: to aggravate a danger, an offense, a wound. To intensify is perceptibly to increase intensity, force, energy, vividness, etc.: to intensify heat, color, rage. 2. anger, vex, rile.
1. heighten, increase. Aggravate, intensify both mean to increase in degree. To aggravate is to make more serious or more grave: to aggravate a danger, an offense, a wound. To intensify is perceptibly to increase intensity, force, energy, vividness, etc.: to intensify heat, color, rage. 2. anger, vex, rile.
Antonyms
1. alleviate.
1. alleviate.
Usage note
The two most common senses of aggravate are “to make worse” and “to annoy or exasperate.” Both senses first appeared in the early 17th century at almost the same time; the corresponding two senses of the noun aggravation also appeared then. Both senses of aggravate and aggravation have been standard since then. The use of aggravate to mean “annoy” is sometimes objected to because it departs from the etymological meaning “to make heavier,” and in formal speech and writing the sense “annoy” is somewhat less frequent than “to make worse.” The noun aggravation meaning “annoyance” occurs in all types of speech and writing.
The two most common senses of aggravate are “to make worse” and “to annoy or exasperate.” Both senses first appeared in the early 17th century at almost the same time; the corresponding two senses of the noun aggravation also appeared then. Both senses of aggravate and aggravation have been standard since then. The use of aggravate to mean “annoy” is sometimes objected to because it departs from the etymological meaning “to make heavier,” and in formal speech and writing the sense “annoy” is somewhat less frequent than “to make worse.” The noun aggravation meaning “annoyance” occurs in all types of speech and writing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To aggravate
:10
:09
:08
:07
:06
:05
:04
:03
:02
:01
Aggravate
is an LSAT word you need to know.
So is impetus. Does it mean:
| a moving force, impulse or stimulus |
| the possession or possessions of a particular owner, such as land or goods |
Example Sentences
- Oddly enough, he benefited from injuring his ankle last year: his rehab focused on balance, so he wouldn't aggravate the injury.
- Mold has been found to aggravate allergies and asthma.
- To drive him away, Molly carries out a hare-brained scheme to aggravate his cat allergy.
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
aggravate
1520s, from pp. adj. aggravate (late 15c.), from L. aggravatus, pp. of aggravare "to render troublesome, to make heavy" (see aggravation). Earlier in this sense was aggrave.
EXPAND"To aggravate has properly only one meaning -- to make (an evil) worse or more serious." [Fowler]Phrase aggravating circumstances is recorded from 1790.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.