aggravation

noun

ag·​gra·​va·​tion ˌa-grə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: an act or circumstance that intensifies something or makes something worse

His interference was an aggravation of the situation.

2

: the act, action, or result of aggravating something or someone

especially : an increasing in seriousness or severity

aggravation of an injury

3

: irritation, provocation

Her job involves a lot of stress and aggravation.

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.

Synonyms

• aggro [British]
• annoyance
• bother
• botheration
• bugbear
• exasperation
• frustration
• hair shirt
• hassle
• headache
• inconvenience
• irk
• irritant
• nuisance
• peeve
• pest
• rub
• ruffle
• thorn
• trial
• vexation

Examples of aggravation in a Sentence

trying to avoid the aggravation of an existing back problem

I don't need all this aggravation.

This car has caused me nothing but aggravation.

Many talented people now feel that a career in politics isn't worth all the aggravation.

I don't need all these aggravations.

Recent Examples on the Web

The soft skills gap robs employees of greater success and causes managers plenty of aggravation. —Bruce Tulgan, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

From trying to find an umbrella in a downpour to having a meeting canceled to driving to a closed restaurant to not finding a parking spot before introducing Olsen to football coach Kirk Ferentz, every step of the visit included some aggravation. —Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 19 July 2024

Almost all people living in large cities breathe elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2); a pollutant linked to the development of childhood asthma as well as the aggravation of existing asthma symptoms. —Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Donald Trump Liz Cheney Comments: What did the former president say? Cheney continues to be one of the most vocal anti-Trump Republicans, which has caused no shortage of aggravation for the former president. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin aggravātiōn-, aggravātiō "a weighing down," from Latin aggravāre "to weigh down, aggravate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

aggravation

noun

ag·​gra·​va·​tion ˌag-rə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the act or result of aggravating

2

: something that aggravates