What does "aggravated" mean?
simple past and past participle of aggravate.
Aggravated
/ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯tɪd/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: simple past and past participle of aggravate.
- Grammar: aggravated is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: acute, aggro, amplified, angry.
- Useful contrasts: carefree, allayed, alleviate.
- Usage evidence: The long trip aggravated her injury.
How to use "aggravated"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "aggravated" 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 "aggravated" 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 "aggravated" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "aggravated" 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 "aggravated" is acting as adj, verb 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 "acute" 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 "aggravated", 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 simple past and past participle of aggravate. form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Having been the subject of aggravation; frustrated and angry.
- 2 Having become worse, more severe, or more dangerous.
"The cruel fallacy, long acted upon, that the insane were insensible to cold, and to other modifications of pain, is exploded; and under the new system, they are treated with the tenderest care, and ample provision is made for their every physical want. The old system inculcated that insane minds could not be stungby insult or shame, dishonor or injustice; the new teaches that “harshness and abuse fall with tenfold force upon minds impaired and enervated by disease; that in most cases of insanity enough of intelligence and feeling are retained to render the patient fully sensible of the import and the cruelty of what is said; and that in many cases the mind, instead of becoming obluse, or deadened, is endowed with an unusual sensitiveness, with an acuteness of perception, upon which the insults and insinuations of the rude, or the indelicate, or the cruel, must produce the most aggravated pain.”"
- 3 Having become worse, more severe, or more dangerous.; Of or characterized by factors that increase the heinousness or offensiveness of the criminal offense.
Adjective
- 1 incited, especially deliberately, to anger wordnet
- 2 made more severe or intense especially in law wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The long trip aggravated her injury."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "aggravated"?
Common synonyms include: acute, aggro, amplified, angry, annoy, annoyed.
How do you use "aggravated" in a sentence?
The long trip aggravated her injury.
How do you pronounce "aggravated"?
Pronounced /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯tɪd/.