aggravate

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aggravate

(Annoy), verb acerbate, aggrieve, annoy, bother, cause pain, chafe, dismay, disturb, enrage, envenom, exasperate, excite, give pain, hurt, incense, inflame, infuriate, injure, irk, irritate, madden, miff, nettle, offend, pain, pique, provoke, rankle, ruffle, sour, sting, trouble, vex
Associated concepts: aggravating circumstances

aggravate

(Exacerbate), verb add to, add weight to, amplify, augment, complicate, deepen, deteriorate, further, heighten, impair, increase, intensify, magnify, make more offensive, make more serious, make more severe, make worse, render less excusable, render less tolerable, render worse, worsen
Associated concepts: aggravated assault, aggravating cirrumstances

References in periodicals archive ?

It was no time to aggravate her feelings, so I said no more but went down to the word shop to look up the etymology of aggravate.

Making things worse

The judges, whose guidelines covered death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, said that falling asleep at the wheel was ``more likely to aggravate than mitigate the seriousness of the offence''.