Aggravation
/ˌæɡrəˈveɪʃən/noun
The act of making something worse or more severe; also, irritation or annoyance.
Did you know?Aggravation comes from Latin gravis, “heavy,” the same root behind gravity, grave, and gravitas — so its oldest sense is about increasing weight, not anger.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷerə-
“heavy, weighty”
Latin
Latin
gravis
“heavy; serious; burdensome”
Late Latin
Latin
aggravāre
“to make heavier; to burden further”
Old French
Old French
aggravacion
“an aggravating, making worse”
Middle English
English
aggravacioun
“the act of making a condition worse; later, irritation or provocation”
Modern English
English
aggravation
“the act of making something worse; annoyance or irritation”