- aggravate
- v1. exacerbate, worsen, add insult to injury, rub salt in the wound, Inf. rub it in, pour oil on the fire; increase, heighten, deepen, intensify, add fuel to the flames or fire, fan or stoke or fuel the fire.2. irritate, annoy, vex, peeve, nettle, chafe, get on [s.o.'s] nerves, tread on [s.o.'s] toes, go against the grain, Chiefly U.S. rile, Inf. miff, Inf. give [s.o.] a pain, Inf. rub [s.o.] the wrong way, Inf. get under [s.o.'s] skin; exasperate, ruffle, disturb, discompose, put out, try [s.o.'s] patience, Inf. put [s.o.'s] nose out of joint, Sl. get [s.o.'s] goat; set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw or crop, Inf. grate on one's nerves.3. bother, pester, hector, harass, Sl. bug, Sl. hassle, Sl. drive [s.o.] nuts or bananas or crazy, Sl. drive [s.o.] up the wall.4. anger, incense, irk, raise [s.o.'s] ire, get [s.o.'s] back up, Inf. get [s.o.'s] Irish or dander up, Inf. burn [s.o.] up, Sl. tick [s.o.] off, Sl. tee [s.o.] off; embitter, gall, rankle, envenom.
A Note on the Style of the synonym finder. 2014.