Aggravations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Factors or scenarios that heighten displeasure and provoke tensions
2. Situations or actions that elevate irritation and complicate matters further
3. Things or events that increase feelings of irritation or bother

Etymology: "Aggravations" is simply the plural of "aggravation," so its history is that of the singular noun. That noun came into English from Middle French "aggravation," which itself derives from the Latin "aggravare," meaning to make heavier. The root is "gravis," heavy, the same source that gives English "grave" and "gravity." The Latin verb began as a literal image of weight pressing down and later extended to burdens that are unpleasant or troubling. The English sense has followed that same path. Early uses concerned making a burden heavier, whether a load, a debt, or a charge, and the noun moved toward its modern sense of irritation compounded by further trouble. The plural form therefore names separate acts or circumstances that each add weight to an already difficult situation.

Synonyms: annoyances, irritations

Antonyms: reliefs, calm