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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
aggravate
verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
further
▪ There is as noted above a real risk that the process will aggravate further the degree of imbalance that presently exists.
▪ This was further aggravated by the continual irrelevant mention of the various printers of our publications.
▪ Here the Pope was to further aggravate the already poor relationship between himself and the Emperor.
only
▪ And his self-despite was so strong that he knew reviving an old flame or chasing some young actress would only aggravate it.
▪ But our actions only aggravate their passivity and feelings of helplessness.
▪ Julie welcomed their support, but it only aggravated the situation at home and interfered with her work performance.
■ NOUN
assault
▪ Nine people were charged with burglary, three with robbery and two with aggravated assault on a police officer.
▪ In April, Sharpe pleaded guilty to possessing a crack pipe and no contest to attempted aggravated assault.
▪ The pattern held true for rapes, robberies and aggravated assault.
injury
▪ Bunker aggravated an old injury in her ribs, while Thompson sprained his neck and upper back.
problem
▪ Newcastle ace Dyer aggravated a long-standing shin problem in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
▪ Indeed, there is wide support for measures that could seriously aggravate both problems.
▪ More than 400 villagers have signed a petition against their application feeling their venture would aggravate the problem.
▪ Differing views about what free trade means aggravates the problem.
▪ This state of affairs has aggravated the already serious problem of doubt among Christians.
▪ This aggravated the problems faced by the Queretaro agro-industry cooperatives.
▪ Too many hours hitting practice shots on hard ground aggravated the old problem.
▪ We can aggravate a problem, but a woman can not make her husband hit her!
situation
▪ In fact, Water Lilies should help, not aggravate the situation, as all plants are consumers of nitrate.
▪ If a person does suffer from other health problems, however, then serious obesity may indeed aggravate the situation.
▪ The Communist decision to withdraw its candidates in all but two Parliamentary constituencies aggravated the situation still further.
▪ Shoe makers aggravate the situation by not agreeing on uniform sizes.
▪ The civil war has aggravated this situation, causing a breakdown in family life, such as it was.
▪ Julie welcomed their support, but it only aggravated the situation at home and interfered with her work performance.
▪ According to Hors, the new law will aggravate this situation, as these institutions will regularly force general practitioners to disclose information.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Air pollution may aggravate a child's asthma.
▪ Any talk of price rises now will only aggravate an already serious situation.
▪ Cutting down the old forests may aggravate global warming.
▪ Is the pain aggravated by coughing or laughing?
▪ John claimed Susan did things just to aggravate him.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Bunker aggravated an old injury in her ribs, while Thompson sprained his neck and upper back.
▪ But Palace yesterday played down fears that Salako aggravated the knee ligaments which required an operation last year.
▪ Newcastle ace Dyer aggravated a long-standing shin problem in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
▪ On Sept. 29, 1995, an aggravated battery incident report was filed with Metro-Dade Police.
▪ The disorder was aggravated by the economic depression of the 1930s.
▪ Tulip said it was faced with an exceptionally strong erosion of prices and margins in 1992, aggravated by currency movements.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Aggravate

Aggravate \Ag"gra*vate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aggravated; p. pr. & vb. n. Aggravating.] [L. aggravatus, p. p. of aggravare. See Aggrieve.]

  1. To make heavy or heavier; to add to; to increase. [Obs.] ``To aggravate thy store.''
    --Shak.

  2. To make worse, or more severe; to render less tolerable or less excusable; to make more offensive; to enhance; to intensify. ``To aggravate my woes.''
    --Pope.

    To aggravate the horrors of the scene.
    --Prescott.

    The defense made by the prisoner's counsel did rather aggravate than extenuate his crime.
    --Addison.

  3. To give coloring to in description; to exaggerate; as, to aggravate circumstances.
    --Paley.

  4. To exasperate; to provoke; to irritate. [Colloq.]

    If both were to aggravate her parents, as my brother and sister do mine.
    --Richardson (Clarissa).

    Syn: To heighten; intensify; increase; magnify; exaggerate; provoke; irritate; exasperate.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
aggravate

1520s, "make heavy, burden down," from past participle adjective aggravate "burdened; threatened" (late 15c.), from Latin aggravatus, past participle of aggravare "to render more troublesome," literally "to make heavy" (see aggravation). Earlier in this sense was aggrege (late 14c.). Meaning "to make a bad thing worse" is from 1590s; that of "exasperate, annoy" is from 1610s.\n\nTo aggravate has properly only one meaning -- to make (an evil) worse or more serious.

[Fowler]

\nRelated: Aggravated; aggravating. Phrase aggravating circumstances is recorded from 1790.
Wiktionary
aggravate

vb. 1 To make worse, or more severe; to render less tolerable or less excusable; to make more offensive; to enhance; to intensify. 2 To give coloring to in description; to exaggerate; as, to '''aggravate''' circumstances. — http://en.wikipedi

  1. org/wiki/William%20Paley. 3 To exasperate; to provoke, to irritate.

WordNet
aggravate
  1. v. make worse; "This drug aggravates the pain" [syn: worsen, exacerbate, exasperate] [ant: better]

  2. exasperate or irritate [syn: exacerbate, exasperate]

Wikipedia

Usage examples of "aggravate".

And if it be true that he was a person of rank and education, those circumstances could serve only to aggravate his guilt.

The influence of falsehood and corruption might procure the condemnation of the innocent, or aggravate the sentence of the guilty.

The zealous Hilary, who, from the peculiar hardships of his situation, was inclined to extenuate rather than to aggravate the errors of the Oriental clergy, declares, that in the wide extent of the ten provinces of Asia, to which he had been banished, there could be found very few prelates who had preserved the knowledge of the true God.

Clovis must curb a licentious spirit, which would aggravate the misery of the vanquished, whilst it corrupted the union and discipline of the conquerors.

Sylla was content to aggravate the pecuniary damages by the penalty of exile, or, in more constitutional language, by the interdiction of fire and water.

Such costly justice might tend to abate the spirit of litigation, but the unequal pressure serves only to increase the influence of the rich, and to aggravate the misery of the poor.

As often as he is pressed by the demands of the Koreish, he involves himself in the obscure boast of vision and prophecy, appeals to the internal proofs of his doctrine, and shields himself behind the providence of God, who refuses those signs and wonders that would depreciate the merit of faith, and aggravate the guilt of infidelity.

But these advantages only tend to aggravate the reproach and shame of a degenerate people.

The Latins aggravate the ingratitude of Alexius, by supposing that he had been released by his brother Isaac from Turkish captivity.

Rome, the remembrance of her consuls and triumphs, may seem to imbitter the sense, and aggravate the shame, of her slavery.

The scene was immediately acted with great success, and our hero cooped up in his cage, where he waited so long, that his desires began to subside, and his imagination to aggravate the danger of his situation.

Fathom, believing that now was the season for working upon her passions, while they were all in commotion, became, if possible, more assiduous than ever about the fair mourner, modelled his features into a melancholy cast, pretended to share her distress with the most emphatic sympathy, and endeavoured to keep her resentment glowing by cunning insinuations, which, though apparently designed to apologise for his friend, served only to aggravate the guilt of his perfidy and dishonour.

Piles are not only in and of themselves very painful and annoying, but often greatly aggravate and even cause other grave and painful affections, and should, therefore, not be neglected.

Caustics often aggravate the irritability and interfere with the healing processes of nature.

Having specialists who devote their entire time and attention to the study of these diseases, we are able to relieve and cure a large number painlessly and speedily, in which the awkward manipulations of physicians or surgeons, whose hands, untrained by constant and skillful use, not only fail to effect any benefit, but set up new, or aggravate existing, disease.