English Meaning & Definitions
To make a problem, injury, or negative situation worse or more serious.
- “The decision to cut funding will only aggravate the existing housing crisis.”
- “Continuing to run on a strained muscle will aggravate the injury and delay healing.”
To annoy or exasperate someone, especially in a persistent or petty way.
- “It really aggravates me when people talk loudly during a movie.”
- “His constant interruptions were starting to aggravate the teacher.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “aggravate”.
Derived from the Latin 'aggravatus', the past participle of 'aggravare', meaning 'to make heavier'. This is formed from the prefix 'ad-' (to) and 'gravis' (heavy). It entered the English language in the 16th century, originally meaning to make a burden or a crime more serious or 'heavy'.
Think of the word 'grave' hidden inside; to aggravate a situation is to make it more 'grave' or serious.
Frequently Asked Questions About “aggravate”
1. What is the meaning of “aggravate” in English?
In English, aggravate (verb) is defined as: “To make a problem, injury, or negative situation worse or more serious.”.
2. How do you use “aggravate” in a sentence?
“The decision to cut funding will only aggravate the existing housing crisis.”
3. What are English synonyms of “aggravate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “aggravate”?
Derived from the Latin 'aggravatus', the past participle of 'aggravare', meaning 'to make heavier'. This is formed from the prefix 'ad-' (to) and 'gravis' (heavy). It entered the English language in the 16th century, originally meaning to make a burden or a crime more serious or 'heavy'.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.