aggravation
noun
Common Uses of Aggravate, Aggravation, and Aggravating: Usage Guide
Although aggravate has been used to refer to rousing someone to anger since the 17th century, it has been the object of disapproval only since about 1870. It is used in expository prose
William Styron
but seems to be more common in speech and casual writing.
Jackie Gleason, interview, 1986
Mark Twain, letter, 1864
The "make worse" meaning is far more common in published prose than the "rouse to anger" meaning. Such is not the case, however, with aggravation and aggravating. Aggravation is used in the "irritation, provocation" sense somewhat more than in its earlier senses; aggravating has practically no use other than to express annoyance.
Examples of aggravation in a Sentence
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Doctors have not been able to diagnose the cause of Betts' stomach aggravation, and the ambiguity of the stomach ailment has pointed to the infielder starting the season on the injured list.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
The lone pesky issue is Lamont Butler’s aggravation of his shoulder injury.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Despite some news reports to the contrary, the newest influx of periodic cicadas — the red-eyed, at times comically clumsy aggravation with wings — will not descend upon Maryland in 2025.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravation
Cite this Entry
“Aggravation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggravation. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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aggravation
noun
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