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ex-acerbate
[ig-zas-er-beyt, ek-sas-] 
| Main Entry: |
aggravate
[ag-ruh-veyt]
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause to become worse |
| Synonyms: | complicate, deepen, enhance, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, mount, rise, rouse, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, help, improve, relieve, soothe |
| Main Entry: | bother |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, annoy; give trouble |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggravate, agitate, alarm, badger, bedevil, bore, browbeat, carp at, concern, cross, discommode, disconcert, disgust, dismay, displease, disquiet, distress, disturb, eat, embarrass, exacerbate, exasperate, goad, grate on, grieve, harry, hinder, hurt, impede, inconvenience, insult, intrude upon, irk, irritate, molest, nag, needle, nudge, pain, perplex, perturb, pester, pick on, plague, provoke, pursue, put out, ride, scare, spite, tantalize, taunt, tease, torment, trouble, upset, vex, worry |
| Antonyms: | aid, help, please |
| Main Entry: | compound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make difficult; complicate |
| Synonyms: | add to, aggravate, augment, confound, confuse, exacerbate, extend, heighten, intensify, magnify, make complex, make intricate, multiply, worsen |
| Antonyms: | better, make easy, uncomplicate |
| Main Entry: | embitter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, alienate |
| Synonyms: | acerbate, acidulate, aggravate, anger, annoy, bitter, bother, disaffect, disillusion, envenom, exacerbate, exasperate, irritate, make bitter, make resentful, poison, sour, venom, worsen |
| Antonyms: | calm, comfort, make happy, pacify |
| Main Entry: | exacerbate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | infuriate; make worse |
| Synonyms: | add insult to injury, aggravate, annoy, egg on, embitter, enrage, envenom, exasperate, excite, fan the flames, feed the fire, go from bad to worse, heat up, heighten, hit on, increase, inflame, intensify, irritate, madden, provoke, push one's button, rattle one's cage, rub salt in a wound, vex, worsen |
| Antonyms: | aid, calm, comfort, help, soothe |
| Main Entry: | exasperate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, provoke |
| Synonyms: | T-off, aggravate, agitate, anger, annoy, bug*, disturb, drive up the wall, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, excite, gall, get under one's skin, get*, incense, inflame, infuriate, irk, irritate, madden, make waves, needle, nettle, peeve, pique, rankle, rile, roil, rouse, try the patience of, vex, work up |
| Antonyms: | calm, comfort, ease, placate, please, soothe |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | inflame |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | anger, aggravate |
| Synonyms: | agitate, annoy, arouse, burn, disturb, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, fan, fire, fire up, foment, gall, get*, grate, heat, heat up, ignite, impassion, incense, increase, infuriate, intensify, intoxicate, irritate, kindle, light, madden, provoke, put out, rile, roil, rouse, steam up, stimulate, vex, worsen |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, appease, cool, pacify, placate, put out, quench, soothe, tranquilize |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | intensify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make more forceful, severe |
| Synonyms: | accent, accentuate, add fuel, add to, aggrandize, aggravate, augment, beef up, boost, brighten, build up, concentrate, darken, deepen, emphasize, enhance, escalate, exacerbate, exalt, heat up, heighten, increase, intensate, lighten, magnify, point, pour it on, quicken, raise, redouble, reinforce, rise, rouse, set off, sharpen, spike*, step up, strengthen, stress, tone up, whet |
| Antonyms: | calm, lower, slow, soothe, weaken |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | sour |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alienate |
| Synonyms: | acidify, curdle, disenchant, embitter, envenom, exacerbate, exasperate, make sour, spoil, turn, turn off |
| Antonyms: | encourage, excite, incite |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2012 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2012 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
