as in annoying
causing annoyance
there's nothing so aggravating as a blaring car alarm that no one is paying any attention to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in irritating
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
it really aggravates me when I arrive 10 minutes before the stated closing time, and the store's closed already
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worsening
to make more severe
overheated rhetoric that only aggravated an already tense situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aggravating
Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
The decision comes after consultations with Miller's office and Facio's family, citing the on-duty status of the officer as an aggravating factor.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Tim Britton, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Climate change is aggravating the problem.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Adjective
Impersonating a police officer with an aggravating factor of driving a vehicle that looked like a police car.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
The decision comes after consultations with Miller's office and Facio's family, citing the on-duty status of the officer as an aggravating factor.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
Nimmo felt better in time for the postseason, at least until aggravating the plantar fasciitis in his left foot during the National League Division Series.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Climate change is aggravating the problem.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravating
Adjective
-
The sheer amount of toilet humor — there’s a lot of mucus, snot, and jokes about people drinking piss stuffed into one film — often proves more annoying than fun.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
-
For a good portion of the audience, Metal Gear Solid Delta will hit all the right notes by being a nice jaunt down memory lane to a time when these ideas and systems were innovative rather than annoying.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
When handled, these treefrogs secrete a sticky toxin as a defense, which can be irritating to mucous membranes of people or pets who make contact with them.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
-
All three ingredients offer significant benefits for skin brightening and skin texture, but also tend to be irritating to people with sensitive skin.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Highly flammable tamarisk shrubs have taken root in thick stands near streams in the western US, and eucalyptus — one of the primary invasive trees blamed for worsening Chile’s recent wildfires as well as fires in Portugal — increases wildfire risk in California.—
Kylie Mohr,
Vox,
8 Jan. 2025
-
The United States withdrew its forces from Europe while demanding debt payments from allies, who passed the costs on to Germany, worsening its financial turmoil and hastening its slide into Nazism.—
Michael Beckley,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But the most frustrating point among them is the argument shared by several critics and a wider collection of the audience that the film doesn’t have a deeper meaning and is ultimately about nothing.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Few things are more frustrating than running into a stubborn knot while in the middle of a brushing.—
Annie Blackman,
Glamour,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
-
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
But a decade later, the 38-story structure has become emblematic of Hartford’s deepening office market troubles.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Ukraine and its European backers have watched on with deepening concern over the thawing of relations between Washington and Moscow.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
On the morning of the massacre, an erratic-acting Westman posted a disturbing video displaying an arsenal of firearms, magazines and ammunition adorned with extremist writings.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Ray sets out to win the disturbing contest and use its life-changing prize for a surprising purpose.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aggravating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravating. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share