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# aggravate

verb (aggravate, aggravates, aggravated, aggravating)

«aggravate» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To make a problem, injury or illness worse. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#m1)
2. (informal) To annoy someone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#m2)

### In the lessons

In health and first aid: running can aggravate a sprained ankle. In everyday talk: "Stop aggravating your sister!" In law: aggravated assault is a more serious crime. Phrases: aggravate an injury, aggravate the problem, aggravating.

### Examples

- Running on it will aggravate your injury. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x1)
- Scratching aggravates the itch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x2)
- Shouting only aggravated the problem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x3)
- My little brother really aggravates me. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x4)
- Smoke can aggravate asthma. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x5)
- It's so aggravating when the bus is late. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x6)
- "And to be sure it isn't pleasing to me, you aggravating goose-cap!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/#x7)

### Note

Some people say only meaning 1 is correct, but meaning 2 (annoy) is very common. Noun: aggravation; in UK slang "aggro" means trouble or violence. Spelling: double g, single v.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «aggravate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/aggravate/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«aggravate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/aggravate.html) on Mova free.