Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To make worse or more troublesome.
- transitive verb To annoy or exasperate: synonym: annoy.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Literally, to add weight to or upon; increase the amount, quantity, or force of; make heavier by added quantity or burden.
- To make more grave or heavy; increase the weight or pressure of; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome: as, to
aggravate guilt or crime, the evils or annoyances of life, etc. - To exaggerate; give coloring to in description; give an exaggerated representation of: as, to
aggravate circumstances. - To provoke; irritate; tease.
- Synonyms To heighten, raise, increase, magnify; overstate. See list under
exaggerate .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb obsolete To make heavy or heavier; to add to; to increase.
- transitive verb To make worse, or more severe; to render less tolerable or less excusable; to make more offensive; to enhance; to intensify.
- transitive verb To give coloring to in description; to exaggerate.
- transitive verb colloq. To exasperate; to provoke; to irritate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To make worse, or more severe; to render less tolerable or less excusable; to make more offensive; to enhance; to intensify.
- verb To give coloring to in description; to exaggerate; as, to aggravate circumstances. — William Paley.
- verb To exasperate; to provoke; to irritate.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb make worse
- verb exasperate or irritate
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The word aggravate annoys him, so say irritate instead?
Language Log Chris Potts 2009
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The word aggravate annoys him, so say irritate instead?
Language Log Chris Potts 2009
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Pope denounces condom use in Africa - in fact, he says condoms "aggravate" the problem of AIDS.
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I also get annoyed with people who seem to think that 'aggravate' and 'irritate' are synonyms.
Your (You're) Joking orannia 2009
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Nevertheless, the international credit crunch and the weakening of global growth will "aggravate" the slowdown of the Icelandic economy, Mr. Haarde said.
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I'm going to let the use of "aggravate" in lieu of "irritate" slide, though.
idiot-milk Diary Entry idiot-milk 2003
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The party was reacting to what it called the ANC's decision in the National Assembly's land affairs committee to "aggravate" the provisions of the Bill.
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Basil's lips in spite of a vow he had just taken not to say anything that should "aggravate" his hostess, who was in a state of tension it was not difficult to detect.
The Bostonians, Vol. I (of II) Henry James 1879
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"I thought 'aggravate' meant making worse than it is," said quiet little Mary Pinfall.
The Other Girls 1865
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I'm not sure what this misinformed individual means by "aggravate" in "It doesn't aggravate the need for more electrical transmission grid."
Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local lensman3 2010
calcalvinvin commented on the word aggravate
you are aggravating her.
July 25, 2011