ag ‧ gra ‧ vate /ˈæɡrəveɪt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of aggravare 'to make heavier' , from ad- 'to' + gravare 'to make heavy' ]
1 . to make a bad situation, an illness, or an injury worse OPP improve :
Their money problems were further aggravated by a rise in interest rates.
Building the new road will only aggravate the situation.
2 . to make someone angry or annoyed SYN irritate :
What really aggravates me is the way she won’t listen.
—aggravating adjective
—aggravatingly adverb
—aggravation /ˌæɡrəˈveɪʃ ə n/ noun [uncountable and countable]