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aggravate

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The definition of aggravate means to make worse or to annoy.

(verb)

An example of aggravate is a brother who won't stop teasing his younger sibling.
An example of aggravate is to constantly pick at a wound and not allow it to heal.

See aggravate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb aggravated, aggravating

to make worse; make more burdensome, troublesome, etc.
Informal to exasperate; annoy; vex

Origin: < L aggravatus, pp. of aggravare, to make heavier < ad-, to + gravis, heavy: see grave

See aggravate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb ag·gra·vat·ed, ag·gra·vat·ing, ag·gra·vates

To make worse or more troublesome.
To rouse to exasperation or anger; provoke. See Synonyms at annoy.

Origin:

Origin: Latin aggravāre, aggravāt-

Origin: : ad-, ad-

Origin: + gravāre, to burden (from gravis, heavy; see g^werə-¹ in Indo-European roots)

Related Forms:

agˈgra·vatˌing·ly adverb

agˈgra·vaˌtive adjective

agˈgra·vaˌtor noun

Usage Note: Aggravate comes from the Latin verb aggravāre, which meant “to make heavier,” that is, “to add to the weight of.” It also had the extended senses “to annoy” and “to oppress.” Some people claim that aggravate can only mean “to make worse,” and not “to irritate,” on the basis of the word's etymology. But in doing so, they ignore not only an English sense in use since the 17th century, but also one of the original Latin ones. Sixty-eight percent of the Usage Panel approves of its use in It's the endless wait for luggage that aggravates me the most about air travel.

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