aggravate
To annoy or irritate somebody, not make a problem worse.
Also called aggravatin'.
Updated September 21, 2026
aggravate pronunciation
/AG-ruh-vayt/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, if you aggravate someone you get on their nerves. Kids aggravate parents. A buzzing fly aggravates the whole room. Schoolbook English wants aggravate for "make worse," but around here the everyday sense is bother or irritate.
How folks use it
- “Quit that. You're aggravatin' me.”
- “That dog'll aggravate you half to death if you let him.”
Origin and etymology
From Latin roots meaning to weigh down, and older English "make worse." By the 1800s the "annoy" sense was common in American speech, especially in the South and Midland. Usage scolds fought it for years. Speakers kept right on saying it that way. Merriam-Webster now lists the irritate sense as informal standard English.
Frequently asked questions
Is using aggravate for "annoy" wrong?
Not in Southern speech. It is the normal meaning there. Formal writing sometimes still prefers annoy or irritate, but the word is widely understood.