aggravating

ag·gra·vate

(ăg′rə-vāt′)

tr.v. ag·gra·vat·ed, ag·gra·vat·ing, ag·gra·vates

1. To make worse or more troublesome: aggravate political tensions; aggravate a medical condition.

2. To annoy or exasperate: The child's whining aggravated me. See Synonyms at annoy.

[Latin aggravāre, aggravāt- : ad-, ad- + gravāre, to burden (from gravis, heavy; see g^werə- in Indo-European roots).]

ag′gra·vat′ing·ly adv.

ag′gra·va′tive adj.

ag′gra·va′tor n.

Usage Note: Aggravate comes from the Latin verb aggravāre, which meant "to make heavier," that is, "to add to the weight of." It also had the extended senses "to burden" or "to oppress." On the basis of this etymology, it is claimed by some that aggravate should not be used to mean "to irritate, annoy, rouse to anger." But such senses for the word date back to the 17th century and are pervasive. In our 2005 survey, 83 percent of the Usage Panel accepted this usage in the sentence: It's the endless wait for luggage that aggravates me the most about air travel. This was a significant increase from the 68 percent who accepted the same sentence in 1988.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Adj.

aggravating - making worse

exacerbating, exasperating

intensifying - increasing in strength or intensity

aggravating

adjective

1. (Informal) annoying, provoking, irritating, teasing, galling, exasperating, vexing, irksome You don't realise how aggravating you can be.

2. worsening, exaggerating, intensifying, heightening, exacerbating, magnifying, inflaming Stress is a frequent aggravating factor.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

aggravante seccante

agravante

aggravating

[ˈægrəveɪtɪŋ] ADJ

1. (Jur) → agravante

2. (= annoying) → molesto
he's an aggravating child → es un niño molesto
it's very aggravating → es para volverse loco

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

aggravating

[ˈægrəveɪtɪŋ] adj (= annoying) [person] → exaspérant(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

aggravating

adj → ärgerlich, enervierend (geh); child → lästig, enervierend (geh); how aggravating for you → wie ärgerlich für Sie!

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

aggravating

[ˈægrəveɪtɪŋ] adj → esasperante, irritante

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

There is nothing more aggravating than a man who won't talk back--unless it is a woman who won't.

Marilla looked back once as the buggy bounced along and saw that aggravating Matthew leaning over the gate, looking wistfully after them.

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'Will you never leave off aggravating a man?' said Codlin.

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Poverty and distress seemed to him to give none a right of aggravating those misfortunes.

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Three minutes later Levin ran full speed into the corridor, not looking at his watch for fear of aggravating his sufferings.

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It was one of the brimstone-and-treacle mornings, and Mrs Squeers had entered school according to custom with the large bowl and spoon, followed by Miss Squeers and the amiable Wackford: who, during his father's absence, had taken upon him such minor branches of the executive as kicking the pupils with his nailed boots, pulling the hair of some of the smaller boys, pinching the others in aggravating places, and rendering himself, in various similar ways, a great comfort and happiness to his mother.

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I had not thus looked, and wished, and wondered long, before I vaulted over the barrier, unable to resist the temptation of taking one glance through the window, just to if she were more composed than when we parted; - and if I found her still in deep distress, perhaps I might venture attempt a word of comfort - to utter one of the many things I should have said before, instead of aggravating her sufferings by my stupid impetuosity.

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Well, it took my mind off from every- thing else; took it clear off, and centered it in my helmet; and mile after mile, there it stayed, imagining the handkerchief, picturing the handkerchief; and it was bitter and aggravating to have the salt sweat keep trickling down into my eyes, and I couldn't get at it.

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A trial court can't use aggravating sentencing factors in a DWI case if prosecutors fail to inform the defendant of their intentions to use them as required by state law, even if the factors were introduced in an earlier proceeding, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled in a case of first impression.

Notice of DWI aggravating factors don't carry over

During the trial, Ny Vuthy pleaded with the court to reverse the charge from attempted murder to stealing with aggravating circumstances.

Supreme Court hears attempted murder case

Dreams are great, but people teasing you about your dreams can get aggravating! And Roy, you aggravated me!

Colt .32 Dreaming

At the conclusion of this penalty phase trial, the jury will determine whether one or more aggravating factors exist: whether any aggravating factors found to exist are sufficient to warrant a sentence of death: whether any mitigating circumstances exist: whether the aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating circumstances: and whether the defendant should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, or death.