Meanings
plural aggravations
- countableuncountableThe act of aggravating, or making worse; used of evils, natural or moral; the act of increasing in severity or heinousness; something additional to a crime or wrong and enhancing its guilt or injurious consequences.
Adrian, whose health had always been weak, now suffered considerable aggravation of suffering from the effects of his wound.
1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter X, in The Last Man. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLCSynonyms: exacerbation
- countableuncountableExaggerated representation.
- countableinformaluncountableA feeling of being provoked by irritation and annoyance; the feeling of being riled up or increasingly irritated.
A little less conversation, a little more action please / All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
1968, Mac Davis, Billy Strange, “A Little Less Conversation”, performed by Elvis Presley
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act of aggravating, or making worse; used of evils, natural or moral; the act of increasing in severity or heinousness; something additional to a crime or wrong and enhancing its guilt or injurious consequences.
More synonyms by meaning
noununfriendly behavior that causes anger or resentment
nounaction that makes a problem or a disease (or its symptoms) worse
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchaggravation
- Englishaggravation
From Middle French aggravation.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian влошаване, утежняване
- влошаване (vlošavane)act of aggravating
- утежняване (utežnjavane)act of aggravating
Dutch verergering
- verergeringact of aggravating
Finnish ärsyttäminen, suututtaminen
- ärsyttäminenact of aggravating
- suututtaminenact of aggravating
- raskauttava asianhaaraextrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity
French circonstances aggravantes
- circonstances aggravantesextrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity
German Erschwerung, Verärgerung
- Erschwerungact of aggravating
- Verärgerungact of aggravating
- Zuspitzungact of aggravating
- med. Verschlechterungact of aggravating
- erschwerender Umstandact of aggravating
Hungarian súlyosbító körülmény
- súlyosbító körülményextrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity
Portuguese agravamento, agravação
- agravamentoact of aggravating
- agravaçãoact of aggravating
- agravoact of aggravating
- agravanteextrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity
Spanish agravio, agravación
- agravioact of aggravating
- agravaciónact of aggravating
- agravamientoact of aggravating
- agravanteextrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with aggravation
Cite this entry
aggravation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aggravation
“aggravation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aggravation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aggravation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aggravation.
Source: aggravation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.