Aggravated means made worse or more serious. When a problem becomes aggravated, it gets harder to fix. A small scratch might become aggravated if you keep picking at it, turning into a bigger wound. A disagreement between friends can become aggravated when someone says something mean, escalating the conflict.

The word often appears in legal contexts. Aggravated assault is more serious than regular assault because something made it worse: maybe a weapon was involved, or someone got badly hurt. An aggravating factor transforms an already serious situation into something even more severe.

People also use aggravated to describe feeling extremely annoyed or frustrated. When your little brother keeps poking you while you're trying to read, you might feel increasingly aggravated. The verb form is aggravate: “Stop aggravating me!” Someone who constantly bothers others is aggravating.

Notice the difference between being annoyed (mildly bothered) and feeling aggravated (pushed past your patience). You might be annoyed by a fly buzzing around, but you'd feel aggravated after it lands on your face for the tenth time while you're trying to concentrate on homework.