Aggravate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/

Definitions

1. To increase the severity or intensity of a condition or situation ; to cause annoyance or frustration to someone
2. To worsen an existing problem or state ; to provoke irritation or displeasure in a person
3. To exacerbate difficulties or symptoms ; to upset or disturb someone by causing anger or vexation

Etymology: The verb "aggravate" has a more literal past than its modern sense suggests. It comes from Latin "aggravāre", built from "ad-" ("to") and "gravāre" ("to make heavy"), which itself comes from "gravis", "heavy". The original image is of adding weight to something already burdened, and the Latin verb could mean to oppress or to annoy as well as to make worse. English first recorded the adjective form in 1471, and the verb followed in 1530. Many readers are surprised to learn that "aggrieve", a word with a related sense of wronging or distressing someone, shares this heavy-weight ancestry through "grave" and "grief". The sense of making a bad situation heavier is what links the two. Both trace back to the same Latin root for weight, so "aggravate" and "aggrieve" are close cousins in the English vocabulary.

Synonyms: annoy, irritate, exacerbate, provoke, anger

Antonyms: calm, soothe, alleviate, pacify, comfort