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1. Dictionary

   Ag·gra·vate

   /ˈaɡrəˌvāt/

   

   verb

   • 1. make (a problem, injury, or offense) worse or more serious: "military action would only aggravate the situation" Similar worsenmake worseexacerbateinflamecompoundintensifyincreaseheightenmagnifyadd toamplifyaugmentadd fuel to the fire/flamesadd insult to injuryrub salt in the woundOpposite alleviateimprove
   • 2. annoy or exasperate (someone), especially persistently: informal "the gesture aggravated me even more" Similar annoyirritateexasperateangerirkvexput outnettleprovokeincenserileinfuriateantagonizeget on someone's nervesrub up the wrong waymake someone's blood boilruffle someone's feathersruffletry someone's patiencemake someone's hackles riseoffendpiquerankleinformal:peeveneedlemake someone see redget someone's back upget someone's goatget under someone's skinbugget someonemiffhack offwind upget atnarkget acrossget on someone's wickget up someone's nosetick offbum outvulgar slang:piss offOpposite calmconciliate

   Word Origin mid 16th century: from Latin aggravat- ‘made heavy’, from the verb aggravare, from ad- (expressing increase) + gravis ‘heavy’.

   Scrabble Points: 14

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2. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryAGGRAVATE | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

   • Cached

   to make a bad situation worse: Attempts to restrict parking in the city center have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion. to make a disease worse: The treatment only aggravated the condition. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Deteriorating and making worse.

3. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › aggravateAggravate - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › aggravate

   Aggravate means to make something worse, and irritate is to annoy. But if you use aggravate to mean "annoy," no one will notice. That battle has been lost in all but the most formal writing.

4. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitionaggravate verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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   aggravate something to make an illness or a bad or unpleasant situation worse synonym worsen. Pollution can aggravate asthma. Military intervention will only aggravate the conflict even further.

5. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishAGGRAVATE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   2 days ago · 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. USAGE The two most common senses of aggravate are “to make worse” and “to annoy or ...

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › aggravateAggravate - definition of aggravate by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › aggravate

   • Cached

   1. To make worse or more troublesome: aggravate political tensions; aggravate a medical condition. 2. To annoy or exasperate: The child's whining aggravated me. See Synonyms at annoy. [Latin aggravāre, aggravāt- : ad-, ad- + gravāre, to burden (from gravis, heavy; see g w erə- in Indo-European roots ).] ag′gra·vat′ing·ly adv. ag′gra·va′tive adj.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishAGGRAVATE | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   to make a situation or condition worse: His comments only aggravated the problem. aggravate verb [T] (ANNOY) to annoy someone: She's starting to really aggravate me. aggravating. adjective. aggravation. noun [ C, U ] uk / ˌæɡrəˈveɪʃ ə n / us. (Definition of aggravate from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

8. www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionaryAGGRAVATE definition in American English | Collins English ...

   www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionary

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   4 days ago · 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. USAGE The two most common senses of aggravate are “to make worse” and “to annoy or ...