aggravation

[ ag-ruh-vey-shuhn ]

noun

1. an increase in intensity, seriousness, or severity; act of making worse:

   an aggravation of pain.

2. the state of being aggravated. aggravated.
3. something that causes an increase in intensity, degree, or severity.
4. annoyance; exasperation:

   Johnny causes me so much aggravation!

5. a source or cause of annoyance or exasperation:

   Johnny's such an aggravation to her!

Usage Note

See aggravate.

Other Words From

• over·aggra·vation noun
• preag·gra·vation noun
• super·aggra·vation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of aggravation¹

1475–85; < Medieval Latin aggravātiōn- (stem of aggravātiō ); aggravate, -ion

Example Sentences

His Game 4 injury had tilted this first-round series in Phoenix’s direction, and its aggravation ended the Lakers’ title defense.

From Washington Post

To do that, you have to put up with the aggravation, the late-night calls, the dumb questions.

From Washington Post

The limiting of crowds in a pandemic has allowed breezy rides toward stadiums and maybe even sighing at the lack of normal aggravation.

From Washington Post

If you ignore this rule, you might one day find yourself the victim of a scam operation, with months of aggravation ahead as you try to straighten out your life and finances.

From Washington Post

The tariffs are the latest aggravation in rapidly deteriorating relations between Australia and its largest trading partner, China.

From Fortune

I could save myself a lot of time and aggravation if I just limited my listening to megastars and their hyped hits.

From The Daily Beast

Some later claimed that a cop shook a can of mace, an uncalled for act of aggravation, one man said.

From The Daily Beast

Does old-fashioned aggravation—emotional wear and tear, agita, tsuris, call it what you will—really take years off your life?

From The Daily Beast

We have worked too hard to give it up now or debt and aggravation.

From The Daily Beast

Sometimes it comes in literal sobriety, sometimes in derisive travesti, sometimes in tragic aggravation.

From Project Gutenberg

We'll visit this third party and if we strike out we'd better leave town for a few days to avoid a lot of aggravation.

From Project Gutenberg

Another aggravation in her case was that she had an active temperament and strong mind.

From Project Gutenberg

Such was the state of his mind, when his ordinary maladies had the serious aggravation of a violent fit of the gout.

From Project Gutenberg

Among the mitigating circumstances I should be inclined to name even those which you bring in aggravation.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• worsening