AGGRAVATION Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

aggravation

noun

ˌa-grə-ˈvā-shən

Definition of aggravation

as in headache

something that is a source of irritation a reminder designed to prevent the aggravation of phones ringing during movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in harassment

the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another the neighbors' constant aggravations prompted us to move out of town

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in frustration

the feeling of impatience or anger caused by another's repeated disagreeable acts informed her children that she didn't need the extra aggravation of hearing them fight in the back seat while they were stuck in traffic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of aggravation So much talk about his ankle this offseason, but an aggravation there obviously isn’t the only issue that could cost him time over a long season. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 July 2026 Depressed dads are more prone to expressing aggravation, annoyance or even rage, Daniel Singley, a psychologist who founded a therapy center for men, said to the Times. — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 27 June 2026 Planning ahead could save you money and aggravation. — Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026 And once Betts felt comfortable swinging a bat without risking aggravation, his hitting ramp-up was swift. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for aggravation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravation

Noun

Tibbetts says the fires have already created plenty of logistics headaches.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
Caused by parasites spread via Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria can cause symptoms including nausea, headache and intense waves of fever and chills.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of headache

Noun

Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images Two former Golden State Warriors employees have sued the NBA franchise, alleging gender, age and race-based discrimination, workplace harassment and retaliation tied to their terminations.

— Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Thirteen days before Morissette’s lawsuit, Urinov filed her own claim against the singer in London’s King Bench Division, which handles cases of defamation, misuse of private information, data protection, and harassment by publication.

— Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of harassment

Noun

Acceptance moves you out of frustration and into a place of proactivity.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Troops in this area have sustained heavy casualties in battles with the regional Islamic State affiliate, and analysts and security sources say frustration with the government is mounting within frontline units.

— Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of frustration

Noun

In March, a Jackson County judge ordered Millennia to board up the property and fix those nuisances.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of nuisance

Noun

Estradiol transdermal patches, which deliver the estrogen hormone directly into the bloodstream, are used to ease menopause symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes and sleep disturbances.

— Sriparna Roy, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
As if a million white collar workers suddenly cried out in terror at once, a great disturbance in the AI force forced down every major AI chatbot service — a brief moment of reprieve from our AI empire overlords.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbance

Noun

Another steered people to collagen creams for lifting, which included products for calming irritation and a cream formulated for reducing redness.

— Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Hyaluronic acid can help combat potential irritation and dryness caused by retinol.

— Ellie Davis, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of irritation

Noun

But administrative burdens are a technology of annoyance, degradation, discrimination, and needless extraction.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
That information sticks together, and companies use it to build a profile of you for marketing, selling, and general annoyance.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of annoyance

Noun

That in turn has prompted exasperation from some officials and Pacific-watchers at the prospect of another summit overshadowed by rivalry between non-member countries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Zilisch’s exasperation reached a boiling point last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of exasperation

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aggravating

aggravation

aggravations

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Style

“Aggravation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravation. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of aggravation

noun

Example Sentences

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