How to Use aggravate in a Sentence

aggravate

verb
  • Our neighbors were aggravated by all the noise.
  • A headache can be aggravated by too much exercise.
  • All of these delays really aggravate me.
  • They're afraid that we might aggravate an already bad situation.
  • She aggravated an old knee injury.
  • The symptoms were aggravated by drinking alcohol.
  • That may be the battle in your head as the Pisces moon aggravates Jupiter.
    — USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Avoid swatting at the bees or flailing your arms, which can aggravate the bees.
    — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
  • Try to wear clothing that doesn’t aggravate your flares.
    — Bethany Fulton, SELF, 23 July 2021
  • And then when it’s aggravated, it’s goes up to six or seven.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Ready to shop for a body cleanser that won't aggravate your sensitive skin?
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, Health.com, 19 Jan. 2022
  • In the Alps, climate activists warn that the more frequent use of snow cannons will aggravate drought.
    — Rick Noack, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2023
  • Bad habits like jaw-clenching and tooth-grinding aggravate the joint.
    — New York Times, 15 Dec. 2021
  • Do not watch the NBA Finals, which will only aggravate you.
    — Bob Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 3 June 2023
  • Two of the suspects face charges of aggravated battery and one faces a charge of mob action, Lt.
    — Dakin Andone, CNN, 25 July 2019
  • Hot water will only aggravate the fibers and, therefore, cause swimwear to stretch out.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2024
  • Because the vehicle's owner saw the snake slip under the hood, the man didn't want to start the car and risk hurting or aggravating the snake.
    — Kelli Bender, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025
  • The pressure was aggravated by the fact that the duchess was a newlywed, then pregnant and then a new mother.
    — Danica Kirka, chicagotribune.com, 21 Oct. 2019
  • This action could help to shut down the music or aggravate your neighbor.
    — Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024
  • Food inflation, which the war in Ukraine will aggravate, is the sector’s next big hurdle.
    — Carol Ryan, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2022
  • The motion may also aggravate existing arthritis at the base of the thumb.
    — Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2021
  • This time of year, our skin can feel aggravated by the change in temperature.
    — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Oct. 2023
  • It's aggravated the disjoint between the way people perceive the world and what the data say.
    — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
  • The 18-year-old, Edison Valdes, and the 13-year-old were both arrested and charged with robbery with a firearm and aggravated battery.
    — Tiffini Theisen, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Sep. 2019
  • The following 10 foods—and drinks—can aggravate UC symptoms.
    — Amanda MacMillan, Health, 24 Mar. 2024
  • Soaking longer than 15 minutes can dry your skin and aggravate itching and eczema.
    — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2024
  • My back has never really been the same since, and the constant travel that comes with being on the road always seems to aggravate it.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2024
  • The strain facing some of the world's best health care systems has been aggravated by hospital budget cuts over the past decade in Italy, Spain, France, and Britain.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2020
  • If environmental conditions are at levels that aggravate your lung health, exercise indoors at home or in a gym or take a walk inside a shopping mall.
    — Carisa Brewster, Verywell Health, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In noting that tariffs both threaten to aggravate inflation as well as slow economic growth, the statement raises the possibility of a stagflationary scenario largely absent from the U.S. since the early 1980s.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 May 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aggravate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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