How to Use aggravate in a Sentence

aggravate

verb
  • Our neighbors were aggravated by all the noise.
  • A headache can be aggravated by too much exercise.
  • All of these delays really aggravate me.
  • They're afraid that we might aggravate an already bad situation.
  • She aggravated an old knee injury.
  • The symptoms were aggravated by drinking alcohol.
  • Don’t push your friend; that will aggravate her.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Avoid swatting at the bees or flailing your arms, which can aggravate the bees.
    — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
  • Ready to shop for a body cleanser that won't aggravate your sensitive skin?
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, Health.com, 19 Jan. 2022
  • Bad habits like jaw-clenching and tooth-grinding aggravate the joint.
    — New York Times, 15 Dec. 2021
  • Fannin aggravated his groin injury on the play and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
    — CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
  • This action could help to shut down the music or aggravate your neighbor.
    — Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024
  • So something to watch for is whether the cold weather could aggravate the injury.
    — Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
  • That may be the battle in your head as the Pisces moon aggravates Jupiter.
    — USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Sold them short because of their skill at winning when ulcers aggravate and palms sweat.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Go armed with the tools to aggravate and later soothe yourself, Tems seems to say.
    — Nelson C.j, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
  • While some are aggravated about the idea, others said it is needed.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Hot water will only aggravate the fibers and, therefore, cause swimwear to stretch out.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2024
  • Certain movements may aggravate the pain, such as, oh, swinging a golf club.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Using harsh soaps can aggravate your skin and make the situation a lot worse.
    — Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, 6 July 2018
  • This time of year, our skin can feel aggravated by the change in temperature.
    — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Oct. 2023
  • The detours through the fast-food drive-thrus aggravated my dietitian to no end.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Words may hit all the wrong notes when the moon aggravates Chiron today.
    — Usa Today, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
  • My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Fiedler is capable of aggravating us but not of boring us.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Soaking longer than 15 minutes can dry your skin and aggravate itching and eczema.
    — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2024
  • The team is also aggravated that this problem exists at all.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Don’t slam on the brakes, which can only aggravate the situation.
    — Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021
  • When law enforcement showed up, Davis asked to have his hands cuffed in front of him, so as not to aggravate his bum shoulder.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The motion may also aggravate existing arthritis at the base of the thumb.
    — Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aggravate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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