aggravate

verb

ˈa-grə-ˌvāt How to pronounce aggravate (audio)
Definition of aggravatenext
1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts it really aggravates me when I arrive 10 minutes before the stated closing time, and the store's closed already

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to worsen
to make more severe overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation

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 aggravate Unfortunately, Delane aggravated a shoulder injury on that play and was unable to return to action in that game, the season opener at Arrowhead. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 The Yankees are also cautious about Judge on a turf field, which could further aggravate the injury. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026 Higher mortgage rates aggravate the problem by discouraging many existing homeowners from selling. — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 And those are things that end up aggravating behavioral health disabilities. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravate
  1. annoy
  2. worsen
  3. irritate
  4. deepen
  5. bother
  6. exacerbate
  7. bug
  8. intensify
Verb
  • The Biden administration also had a commitment to AI safety that annoyed AI companies.
    — Nina Verdelli, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Alan Cumming, please tell me if you were actually annoyed with Victor in that moment.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • Rights groups ​and activists say repression has worsened in ​the period since.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In Spanish cities, a housing supply shortage has worsened thanks to population growth driven by immigration and a proliferation of short-term rentals.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsen
Verb
  • These extra vessels increase inflammation and irritate surrounding nerves, making daily movement painful.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The key is knowing what’s likely to irritate your skin during a flare and what may spark an issue day-to-day even when your skin is clear.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • But North Korea’s deepening military ties with Russia since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine have led analysts to question whether Pyongyang is becoming less reliant on Beijing.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Residents of the southern Ukrainian ⁠town, occupied by Russian forces since February 2022, have reported a deepening food crisis.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of deepen
Verb
  • The mathematics and computer science graduate, who spent two years in the Peace Corps, launched Netflix by mailing DVDs in red envelopes to customers bothered by Blockbuster Video chain’s practices and late fees.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Some people, like me, are bothered by such images but can mostly ignore them.
    — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • In parts of society or in businesses, AI could exacerbate existing weaknesses, like extreme income inequality and the loneliness epidemic.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • China's large base of retail investors could also exacerbate market volatility, Rein said, as individual investors are prone to exiting the market faster during periods of uncertainty.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of exacerbate
Verb
  • On Monday, a court granted the US government’s request to deny release of a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a top-secret conference room to steal the frontier lab’s secrets.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And as the team moved into the couple’s guest house on their San Diego rental property, the filmmakers feared that the home was bugged and ordered a device to try to de-bug it, without success.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bug
Verb
  • If winter temperatures turn unusually cold, supply pressures could intensify further.
    — , CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Screening has intensified at Entebbe International Airport and land borders.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensify

Browse Nearby Words

aggrandizing
aggravate
aggravated
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Cite this Entry

“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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