What does "aggravate" mean?
To make (an offence) worse or more severe; to increase in offensiveness or heinousness.
Aggravate
/ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/ adj, verb, slang
adj, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make (an offence) worse or more severe; to increase in offensiveness or heinousness.
- Grammar: aggravate is listed as adj, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: exacerbate, exasperate, worsen, accelerate.
- Useful contrasts: cool example, extenuating, mellow.
- Usage evidence: Magical are the straight lines in how they perturb the curved ones, aggravate their distortion and make them look more zigzagged, revealing their deceptive appearance.
How to use "aggravate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "aggravate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "aggravate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "aggravate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "aggravate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "aggravate" is acting as adj, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "exacerbate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "aggravate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make (an offence) worse or more severe; to increase in offensiveness or heinousness.
"Once more, the more to aggrauate the note, With a foule Traitors name ſtuffe I thy throte, And wiſh (ſo pleaſe my Soueraigne) ere I moue, What my tong ſpeaks, my right drawn ſword may proue"
- 2 make worse wordnet
- 3 To make (any bad thing) worse. broadly
"to aggravate my woes."
- 4 exasperate or irritate wordnet
- 5 To give extra weight or intensity to; to exaggerate, to magnify. archaic
"He aggravated the story."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To pile or heap (something heavy or onerous) on or upon someone. obsolete
"In order to lighten the crown still further, they aggravated responsibility on ministers of state."
- 7 To exasperate; to provoke or irritate. colloquial, often, proscribed
"If both were to aggravate her parents, as my brother and sister do mine."
Adjective
- 1 Aggravated. obsolete
- 2 Loaded, burdened, weighed down. obsolete
- 3 Heightened, intensified. obsolete
- 4 Under ecclesiastical censure, excommunicated. obsolete
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Magical are the straight lines in how they perturb the curved ones, aggravate their distortion and make them look more zigzagged, revealing their deceptive appearance."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "aggravate"?
Common synonyms include: exacerbate, exasperate, worsen, accelerate, adulterate, agent provocateur.
How do you use "aggravate" in a sentence?
Magical are the straight lines in how they perturb the curved ones, aggravate their distortion and make them look more zigzagged, revealing their deceptive appearance.
How do you pronounce "aggravate"?
Pronounced /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/.
Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1471 in Middle English, the verb in 1530; from Latin aggravātus, perfect passive participle of aggravō (“to add to the weight of, make worse, oppress, annoy”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + gravō (“to make heavy”), from gravis (“heavy”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See grave and compare aggrieve and aggrege. Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.