Aggravation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌæɡɹəˈveɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A source that causes displeasure or irritation ; an increase in the severity or intensity of a condition or problem
2. Something that provokes frustration or anger ; the process by which an issue or ailment becomes more serious
3. An element that triggers annoyance or impatience ; a worsening or escalation of circumstances or symptoms

Etymology: "Aggravation" carries a Latin core meaning "to make heavier." The Latin verb "aggravare" combined "ad-" (toward) with "gravis" (heavy), so to aggravate something was literally to add weight to it. That physical sense of loading a burden onto something survives in the English verb, which at first meant to make a burden heavier before it came to mean to make a situation worse. The noun came into English by way of Middle French, which had its own form of the word, and it carried that same weighty image with it. Its modern senses split along two lines. One is the sense of a worsening circumstance or symptom, where a condition grows heavier and harder to bear. The other, more everyday sense is the irritation a person feels when something piles onto their patience, as when a small delay becomes a real annoyance.

Synonyms: annoyance, irritation, exasperation

Antonyms: calm, comfort