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aggravate

C1 verb #2,000 最常用 6分钟阅读

aggravate

前2,000

Aggravate is a big word for A1. It means to make something bad even worse. For example, if you have a small cut and you touch it, it might hurt more. You 'aggravate' the cut. It also means to make someone a little bit angry. If your friend is trying to study and you make loud noises, you might aggravate them. Think of it as 'making more trouble.' It is not a common word for beginners, but it is good to know if you want to talk about things that are annoying. Use it like this: 'The noise aggravates me.' or 'Don't aggravate your brother.'

At the A2 level, you can start using 'aggravate' to describe problems that get bigger. If you are sick and you go outside in the cold, the cold might aggravate your cough. This means your cough becomes worse. You can also use it when someone is doing something that bothers you. It is similar to 'annoy' but feels a bit stronger. When you use this word, you are showing that something is becoming a bigger problem than it was before. It is a useful verb for talking about health and daily frustrations. Example: 'The smoke aggravated her asthma.'

For B1 learners, 'aggravate' is a useful synonym for 'make worse' or 'irritate.' You should recognize it in reading passages about health or social issues. It implies that there was already a problem, and a new action has made it more serious. For instance, 'The lack of rain will aggravate the water shortage.' In social situations, it describes a person who is being very annoying on purpose. 'He was just trying to aggravate his parents by staying out late.' It is a more sophisticated word than 'annoy' and helps you vary your vocabulary in writing.

At B2, you should be comfortable using 'aggravate' in both formal and informal contexts. You should understand the nuance that it usually refers to an existing condition. In a business context, you might say, 'The delay in shipping will only aggravate our customers.' In a medical context, you might discuss how certain habits aggravate chronic illnesses. You should also be aware of the noun form, 'aggravation,' which refers to the state of being annoyed or the process of making something worse. 'The constant noise was a major source of aggravation for the residents.'

As a C1 learner, you must distinguish between 'aggravate' and 'exacerbate.' While often used as synonyms, 'aggravate' is more common in informal speech to mean 'annoy,' whereas 'exacerbate' is strictly for making situations worse. You should also be familiar with 'aggravating circumstances' in legal or formal reporting. C1 usage involves understanding the collocations: 'aggravate a situation,' 'aggravate an injury,' 'aggravate a conflict.' You should use this word to show precise cause-and-effect relationships in your academic or professional writing, particularly when discussing how external factors impact a system or condition.

At the C2 level, you should master the subtle connotations of 'aggravate.' This includes its use in high-level literature and legal discourse. You should be able to use it to describe the intensification of abstract concepts, such as 'aggravating the disparity between the rich and the poor.' You should also be aware of its etymological roots (from Latin 'aggravare,' meaning to make heavy) and how this informs its meaning of adding 'weight' to a problem. C2 mastery means using 'aggravate' with precision, choosing it over 'exacerbate' or 'intensify' when the specific meaning of 'adding to a burden' is required.

开始练习例句笔记与提示

aggravate 30秒了解

Aggravate means to make a bad situation, problem, or injury worse.
It is also commonly used informally to mean to annoy or exasperate someone.
In formal contexts, it is a synonym for 'exacerbate' regarding situations.
It is a transitive verb, meaning it always acts on an object.

The word aggravate primarily functions as a verb in English, carrying two distinct yet related meanings. At its core, it refers to the act of making a situation, condition, or injury worse or more intense. When you aggravate something, you take a pre-existing negative state and add a layer of severity to it. This is often seen in medical contexts, where a specific action might aggravate a physical injury, or in social contexts, where a comment might aggravate a tense atmosphere. The second, more informal usage of the word is to describe the act of annoying or exasperating someone. While some traditionalists argue that 'aggravate' should only be used to mean 'make worse,' the use of the word to mean 'irritate' has become widely accepted in modern English, particularly in spoken discourse.

Primary Definition: To make a problem, injury, or unpleasant situation worse or more serious.
Secondary Definition: To annoy or exasperate someone, especially with persistent behavior.

Attempting to walk on the sprained ankle will only aggravate the injury further.

In professional writing, 'aggravate' is most frequently used in the context of 'exacerbating' conditions. For instance, economic policies might aggravate inflation, or environmental factors might aggravate a respiratory condition. The nuance here is that the 'aggravation' is an external force acting upon an existing vulnerability. It is not the cause of the problem, but the catalyst for its decline.

The lack of clear communication between departments served only to aggravate the existing confusion.

Synonym Focus: Exacerbate: Often used interchangeably in formal contexts to mean making a situation worse.

Understanding the weight of this word is crucial for C1 learners. It implies a progression from bad to worse. If you say someone 'aggravated' you, it sounds more intense and persistent than if they simply 'annoyed' you. It suggests a building pressure or a repeated action that finally breaks your patience.

Using 'aggravate' correctly requires an understanding of its transitivity. It is a transitive verb, meaning it requires an object. You aggravate *something* or *someone*. You cannot simply 'aggravate' in a vacuum. When discussing physical health, the object is usually the ailment: 'Running aggravated my knee pain.' when discussing social dynamics, the object is the person or the mood: 'His constant whistling aggravated her.'

Grammar Pattern 1: [Subject] + aggravate + [Noun Phrase (Problem/Injury)]
Grammar Pattern 2: [Subject] + aggravate + [Person]

The heavy rain will aggravate the flood conditions in the valley.

In formal writing, especially in essays or reports, prefer 'aggravate' when referring to the worsening of situations. If you are writing about a person's feelings, 'irritate' or 'exasperate' might be more precise, though 'aggravate' is common in narrative fiction to show a character's rising frustration. One common structure is the passive voice: 'The situation was aggravated by a lack of resources.'

Don't aggravate the dog while it is eating; it might bite.

When using the word to mean 'annoy,' it often carries a connotation of persistence. It’s not a one-time poke; it’s the constant dripping of water that eventually aggravates. This is why it is frequently used with adverbs like 'further,' 'unnecessarily,' or 'intentionally.'

You will encounter 'aggravate' in several specific domains. In **medicine**, doctors use it to describe what makes symptoms worse. A patient might be asked, 'Does cold weather aggravate your joint pain?' In **legal proceedings**, 'aggravating factors' are specific details that make a crime more serious, such as the use of a weapon or targeting a vulnerable victim. This is the opposite of 'mitigating factors.'

The judge noted several aggravating factors that led to a harsher sentence.

In **news and politics**, journalists use 'aggravate' to describe how international tensions or economic crises are worsening. You might hear, 'The new tariffs are expected to aggravate the trade war.' In **daily conversation**, it’s common to hear people complain about things that 'aggravate' them, like traffic, slow internet, or a sibling's habits.

Medical Context: 'Certain foods can aggravate acid reflux.'
Social Context: 'Stop aggravating your sister!'

In literature, authors use 'aggravate' to build tension. It describes the slow burn of a character's patience or the worsening of a conflict. It is a word of escalation.

The most common mistake with 'aggravate' is confusing it with **'exasperate'** or **'irritate'**. While they are similar, 'aggravate' specifically implies making a *situation* worse, whereas 'exasperate' is purely about the *feeling* of intense irritation. Another mistake is using 'aggravate' when you mean 'irritate' in a very formal academic paper. Some strict grammarians still view the 'annoy' meaning as informal or incorrect, so in a PhD thesis, stick to 'exacerbate' for situations and 'irritate' for people.

Incorrect: The noise aggravated me to the point of crying. (Better: exasperated)

Confusing 'aggravate' with **'aggregate'** is another frequent error. 'Aggregate' means to collect or combine into a whole, which is entirely different. For example, 'The website aggregates news from various sources.' Using 'aggravate' here would imply the website is making the news worse!

Aggravate vs. Exacerbate: Aggravate can mean to annoy people; Exacerbate is almost exclusively for situations/conditions.

Finally, avoid using 'aggravate' to mean 'create' a problem. The problem must already exist. You don't aggravate a new wound; you aggravate an *existing* one.

To truly master 'aggravate,' you must understand its neighbors in the semantic field of 'worsening' and 'annoying.' **Exacerbate** is its closest formal synonym. If a situation gets worse, both words work, but 'exacerbate' sounds more academic. **Inflame** is used when a situation becomes more violent or passionate. **Worsen** is the simplest, most direct alternative.

Exacerbate: Focuses on making a bad situation or negative feeling more intense.
Irritate: To provoke impatience or slight anger; less intense than aggravate.
Provoke: To deliberately cause a reaction, often an angry one.

While 'irritate' is a scratch, 'aggravate' is a constant rubbing of that scratch until it bleeds.

On the opposite side, we have **alleviate**, **mitigate**, and **assuage**. These words all mean to make something better or less severe. In a C1 exam, you might be asked to provide an antonym for 'aggravate' in a medical context; 'alleviate' would be the perfect choice.

How Formal Is It?

正式

非正式

难度评级

需要掌握的语法

按水平分级的例句

The loud music will aggravate my headache.

make worse

Subject + will + verb

Please do not aggravate the cat.

annoy

Imperative sentence

Does the sun aggravate your eyes?

make worse

Question form

The rain will aggravate the mud.

make worse

Future tense

He likes to aggravate his sister.

annoy

Infinitive after 'likes'

The dust can aggravate your cough.

make worse

Modal 'can'

I don't want to aggravate the problem.

make worse

Negative infinitive

Stop aggravating me!

annoying

Gerund after 'stop'

Walking too much will aggravate your sore leg.

make worse

Gerund subject

The cold weather might aggravate his cold.

make worse

Modal 'might'

His comments only served to aggravate her.

annoy

Infinitive of purpose

Don't aggravate the situation by lying.

make worse

Preposition 'by' + gerund

The salt will aggravate the wound.

make worse

Simple future

She was aggravated by the slow internet.

annoyed

Passive voice

Does spicy food aggravate your stomach?

make worse

Present simple question

The noise from the street aggravates him every night.

annoys

Third person singular

The new tax will aggravate the financial crisis.

make worse

Transitive use

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to aggravate you.

annoy

Negative past simple

Scratching the bite will only aggravate the itching.

make worse

Gerund subject

The lack of sleep began to aggravate her stress levels.

increase/worsen

Infinitive after 'began'

His stubbornness aggravated the argument.

made worse

Past simple

Pollution can aggravate respiratory diseases like asthma.

make worse

Scientific context

She found his constant questions very aggravating.

annoying

Adjective form

The coach warned that playing would aggravate the injury.

make worse

Reported speech

The government's refusal to negotiate will aggravate the strike.

worsen

Complex subject

Building the new highway will aggravate the local traffic problems.

make worse

Future tense

He has a tendency to aggravate people with his arrogance.

annoy

Noun + infinitive

The medication seemed to aggravate her symptoms instead of curing them.

worsen

Contrast 'instead of'

The economic downturn was aggravated by the sudden rise in oil prices.

made worse

Passive voice with 'by'

Using the wrong cleaning product will aggravate the stain.

make worse

Gerund phrase as subject

The tension in the room was aggravated by his arrival.

increased

Passive voice

It's aggravating to see such talent go to waste.

annoying/frustrating

It is + adj + to-infinitive

The proposed austerity measures are likely to aggravate social inequality.

exacerbate

Likely to + infinitive

The defendant's prior record was considered an aggravating factor in the sentencing.

making the crime more serious

Legal terminology

His persistent refusal to acknowledge his mistakes only aggravated his colleagues.

exasperated

Complex noun phrase as subject

The drought has aggravated the already precarious food security situation.

worsened

Present perfect

The report suggests that urban sprawl aggravates environmental degradation.

contributes to the worsening of

Third person singular

She was careful not to say anything that might aggravate the delicate negotiations.

jeopardize/worsen

Relative clause

The patient's condition was aggravated by a secondary infection.

made more severe

Passive voice

The sheer incompetence of the management served to aggravate the staff's morale.

lower/worsen

Abstract object

The intersection of these two crises served to aggravate the systemic instability of the region.

intensify

Formal academic style

To intervene now would be to aggravate an already volatile geopolitical climate.

worsen

Subjunctive/Hypothetical structure

The poet uses imagery of decay to aggravate the sense of despair in the final stanza.

heighten

Literary analysis

The court found that the premeditation of the act significantly aggravated the offense.

increased the gravity

Legal context

His penchant for sarcasm often aggravated his relationships beyond repair.

damaged/worsened

Advanced vocabulary (penchant)

The lack of transparency only serves to aggravate public distrust in the institution.

deepen

Abstract noun object

The feedback loop between climate change and permafrost melt aggravates global warming.

accelerates/worsens

Scientific feedback loop

The nuance of the term 'aggravate' lies in its ability to denote both physical worsening and psychological irritation.

describe

Metalinguistic use

近义词

exacerbate worsen inflame intensify provoke irritate

反义词

alleviate mitigate improve

常见搭配

aggravate an injury

aggravate a problem

aggravate a situation

aggravate symptoms

aggravate tensions

aggravate the condition

aggravate the pain

aggravate the crisis

aggravate the skin

aggravate a conflict

常用短语

aggravating circumstances

aggravating factor

highly aggravating

don't aggravate it

served to aggravate

only aggravate

further aggravate

aggravate the matter

aggravate the feeling

aggravate the itch

容易混淆的词

aggravate vs exacerbate

aggravate vs aggregate

aggravate vs agitate

习语与表达

容易混淆

aggravate vs Exacerbate

Strictly means to make a situation worse; cannot mean to annoy a person.

aggravate vs Aggregate

Means to collect or sum up; sounds similar but unrelated in meaning.

aggravate vs Agitate

Means to stir up or disturb; 'aggravate' is more about worsening a condition.

aggravate vs Irritate

A milder form of 'aggravate' when referring to people.

aggravate vs Alleviate

The opposite; to make something better or less severe.

句型

如何使用

note

While 'aggravate' meaning 'annoy' is common, some style guides still prefer 'irritate' for this meaning in formal contexts.

常见错误

Using 'aggravate' when there was no pre-existing problem.
Confusing it with 'aggregate' in data contexts.
Misspelling it as 'aggrevate'.
Using it as an intransitive verb (e.g., 'The situation aggravated' instead of 'The situation was aggravated').
Using it to mean 'annoy' in a formal scientific report.

小贴士

Formal Writing

In academic papers, use 'exacerbate' for situations to sound more precise and scholarly.

The Double G

Think of the two 'g's in aggravate as 'Getting Greater' (the problem is getting greater).

Doctor Talk

Use 'aggravate' when describing what makes your pain worse to help your doctor diagnose you.

Law Terms

Remember 'aggravating circumstances' if you are studying law or watching crime dramas.

Softening

If you want to be less direct, say 'That's a bit aggravating' instead of 'You are annoying me'.

Vate vs Vait

It ends in '-ate' like 'state' or 'plate', not '-ait'.

Object Required

Always remember to say *what* is being aggravated. It's a transitive verb.

Stress

Put the stress on the first syllable: AG-gra-vate.

Global Issues

Use 'aggravate' when discussing how climate change affects existing social problems.

Variety

Switch between 'aggravate', 'worsen', and 'intensify' to keep your writing interesting.

记住它

词源

Latin

文化背景

Aggravating factors can lead to life sentences or the death penalty in some jurisdictions.

Calling someone 'aggravating' is a common, slightly polite way to say they are being very annoying.

在生活中练习

真实语境

对话开场白

"What is the most aggravating thing about public transport in your city?"

"Does cold weather aggravate any old injuries you have?"

"How do you handle people who try to aggravate you on purpose?"

"Do you think social media aggravates political divisions?"

"What habits in a roommate would aggravate you the most?"

日记主题

Describe a time when a small problem was aggravated by a bad decision.

Write about something that aggravates you but doesn't seem to bother others.

How can we prevent minor disagreements from being aggravated into major conflicts?

Reflect on a physical injury you had and what activities aggravated it.

Discuss how modern technology might aggravate feelings of loneliness.

常见问题

10 个问题

Yes, in informal and standard English, it means to annoy or exasperate someone. However, in very formal writing, some prefer 'irritate'.

Mostly yes, when referring to situations. 'Exacerbate' is more formal and only used for situations, never for annoying people.

In law, it is a fact or circumstance that increases the severity of a crime or the culpability of the perpetrator.

Yes, as 'aggravating' (causing annoyance/worsening) or 'aggravated' (feeling annoyed/made worse).

It is spelled with two 'a's: aggravate.

The noun form is 'aggravation'.

No, 'aggravate' is only used for negative things like problems, injuries, or bad moods.

Yes, it is very common in both daily speech and professional writing.

The best opposites are 'alleviate', 'mitigate', or 'improve'.

No, it means to make an existing problem worse.