verb
aggravate
AG-ruh-vayt
Aggravate (verb) means to make a bad situation, problem, or injury worse. Example: “Stress can aggravate an existing health condition.”
verb
1
To make a bad situation, problem, or injury worse.
"Stress can aggravate an existing health condition."
"His comments only aggravated the dispute."
2
To annoy or irritate someone.
"Her constant tapping aggravated everyone in the office."
"It aggravates me when people are late."
How to use aggravate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make something worse, or to annoy someone.
Common mistake
In careful formal writing, "aggravate" traditionally means "make worse" (a situation), not "annoy" (a person) — though the "annoy" sense is now extremely common in everyday speech.
Common pairings
aggravate a condition
aggravate an injury
aggravate the situation
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- aggravates
- Past tense
- aggravated
- Comparative
- more aggravate
- Superlative
- most aggravate
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Stress can _____ an existing health condition.
Etymology
From Latin aggravare ("to make heavier"), from ad- ("to") + gravare ("to weigh down"), from gravis ("heavy") — the same root as "grave" and "gravity."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for aggravate
See all rhymes for aggravate →Frequently asked questions
What does “aggravate” mean?
The word “aggravate” means to make a bad situation, problem, or injury worse. In plain terms, to make something worse, or to annoy someone.
How do you pronounce “aggravate”?
“Aggravate” is pronounced AG-ruh-vayt (/ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/ in IPA).
How do you use “aggravate” in a sentence?
Here is “aggravate” used in a sentence: “Stress can aggravate an existing health condition.”
What is another word for “aggravate”?
Words with a similar meaning to “aggravate” include adulterate, alloy, canker, contaminate, corrupt and debase.
What is the opposite of “aggravate”?
The opposite of “aggravate” — its antonyms — are ameliorate, improve, mitigate, repair and restore.
What part of speech is “aggravate”?
“Aggravate” is a verb.
Where does the word “aggravate” come from?
The word “aggravate” comes from Latin. From Latin aggravare ("to make heavier"), from ad- ("to") + gravare ("to weigh down"), from gravis ("heavy") — the same root as "grave" and "gravity.".
How many meanings does “aggravate” have?
“Aggravate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make a bad situation, problem, or injury worse.
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