aggravating

adjective

ag·gra·vat·ing ˈa-grə-ˌvā-tiŋ

Synonyms of aggravating next

: arousing displeasure, impatience, or anger

an aggravating habit

Common Uses of Aggravate, Aggravation, and Aggravating: Usage Guide

Although aggravate has been used to refer to rousing someone to anger since the 17th century, it has been the object of disapproval only since about 1870. It is used in expository prose

when his silly conceit … about his not-very-good early work has begun to aggravate us —

William Styron

but seems to be more common in speech and casual writing.

a good profession for him, because bus drivers get aggravated —

Jackie Gleason, interview, 1986

& now this letter comes to aggravate me a thousand times worse —

Mark Twain, letter, 1864

The "make worse" meaning is far more common in published prose than the "rouse to anger" meaning. Such is not the case, however, with aggravation and aggravating. Aggravation is used in the "irritation, provocation" sense somewhat more than in its earlier senses; aggravating has practically no use other than to express annoyance.

Examples of aggravating in a Sentence

there's nothing so aggravating as a blaring car alarm that no one is paying any attention to

Recent Examples on the Web

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Meagan Emily McFadden faces felony charges of misappropriating public money, embezzlement, along with an enhancement alleging aggravating circumstances. —

Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 22 Jan. 2025 No hesitation playing in semifinal even with risk of aggravating injury. —

Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025 In the United States, the death penalty is used almost exclusively for those who commit murders with aggravating circumstances that make their crimes particularly heinous. —

Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2025 To some city residents, the aggravating escapades became a symbol of selfishness in the social media era. —

Mike Baker, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for aggravating