Aggravated
/əˈɡrævətɪd/
verbIntermediate📊CommonEmotion
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
to make (a problem, bad situation, or feeling) worse
/əˈɡrævəteɪt/
verbnegativeIntermediate
Emotion
make (a problem, bad situation, or feeling) worse
Her nagging only aggravated the situation.
💡 Simply: to worsen something
More Examples
2
His behavior aggravated his brother.
How It's Used
General
"His constant complaining about the job aggravated the situation."
From Middle French aggrader, from Latin aggravare ‘to make heavier’, from ad- ‘to’ + gravare ‘to burden’.
Aggravate has been used in the English language since the late 15th century.
Memory tip
Imagine adding weight (gravitas) to an already heavy situation.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"to make heavier or burden"
aggravate a situationaggravate an injury
Common misspellings
aggrevatedagrivatedaggrevatedly
Practice
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written