Antonyms for aggravate
| Grammar : Verb |
| Spell : ag-ruh-veyt |
| Phonetic Transcription : ˈæg rəˌveɪt |
Definition of aggravate
Origin :- 1520s, "make heavy, burden down," from past participle adjective aggravate "burdened; threatened" (late 15c.), from Latin aggravatus, past participle of aggravare "to render more troublesome," literally "to make heavy" (see aggravation). Earlier in this sense was aggrege (late 14c.). Meaning "to make a bad thing worse" is from 1590s; that of "exasperate, annoy" is from 1610s.
- To aggravate has properly only one meaning -- to make (an evil) worse or more serious. [Fowler]
- Related: Aggravated; aggravating. Phrase aggravating circumstances is recorded from 1790.
- verb annoy
- verb cause to become worse
- Is it for you to aggravate as a crime, what reason teaches is, at worst, a misfortune?
- Extract from : « Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I » by Francis Augustus Cox
- I felt that to obtrude my consolations on her then would only serve to aggravate her sufferings.
- Extract from : « The Tenant of Wildfell Hall » by Anne Bronte
- And Kitty refused her breakfast in consequence—only to aggravate me.
- Extract from : « The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 25, January 1893 » by Various
- I said, Protagoras; then I am a sorry physician, and do but aggravate a disorder which I am seeking to cure.
- Extract from : « Protagoras » by Plato
- When he grew a little better, the Bohemian rather began to aggravate him.
- Extract from : « Cruel Barbara Allen » by David Christie Murray
- We only multiply our feebleness, and aggravate our deficiencies.
- Extract from : « Tancred » by Benjamin Disraeli
- Two circumstances had combined to aggravate the national vice.
- Extract from : « A History of American Christianity » by Leonard Woolsey Bacon
- He knows I don't want sech things, and he does it jest to aggravate me.
- Extract from : « Freaks of Fortune » by Oliver Optic
- This will but aggravate her sufferings and expose her to contempt.
- Extract from : « The Young Maiden » by A. B. (Artemas Bowers) Muzzey
- Indeed, every new remedy seems only to aggravate the disease.
- Extract from : « Select Temperance Tracts » by American Tract Society
Synonyms for aggravate
- be at
- be on the back of
- bother
- bug
- bum
- complicate
- deepen
- dog
- drive up the wall
- enhance
- exacerbate
- exaggerate
- exasperate
- gall
- get
- get on one's nerves
- get to
- give a hard time
- grate
- hack
- heighten
- increase
- inflame
- intensify
- irk
- irritate
- magnify
- mount
- nag
- needle
- nettle
- peeve
- pester
- pick on
- pique
- provoke
- rise
- rouse
- tease
- vex
- wig
- worsen
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019