aggravates
Makes it worse
Aggravates means makes worse or more severe: The humidity aggravates my asthma, His comments only aggravated the situation.
In common usage, aggravate also means to annoy or irritate: It aggravates me when people don't signal.
Purists object to this second sense, but it's well established in everyday speech.
Provokes mild anger
- exasperatesIntensely irritates someone
- infuriatesMakes extremely angry
- provokesIncites a reaction
- vexesCauses annoyance or distress
galls · irks · grates · rankles · nettles · peeves · bothers · pesters
irritates
Provokes mild anger
- exasperatesIntensely irritates someone
- infuriatesMakes extremely angry
- provokesIncites a reaction
vexes · galls · irks · grates · rankles · nettles · peeves · bothers · pesters · nags
exacerbates
Makes more severe
- intensifiesIncreases in strength
- compoundsBonded element substances
- inflamesArouses intense emotion
escalates · heightens · deepens · amplifies · magnifies · accelerates · aggrieves · irritates · flares · complicates
aggravatesalleviates
Reduces severity of
ameliorates · relieves · eases · mitigates · lessens
- aggravated assaultsViolent crimes causing injury
- aggravated batteryViolent crime with harm
- aggravating factorsConditions worsening an offense
- aggravated murderKilling with enhancing circumstances
- aggravating circumstancesConditions warranting harsher punishment
- aggravated burglaryTheft involving weapon presence
aggravate, aggravation, aggravating, aggravated, aggravations, aggravator, aggravators