Definitions
- Referring to making a situation worse or more serious. - Talking about making an existing problem or condition more severe. - Describing the act of provoking or annoying someone to the point of anger or frustration.
- Describing the act of annoying or bothering someone. - Referring to causing discomfort or a mild reaction, such as itching or sneezing. - Talking about provoking or frustrating someone to a lesser degree than aggravating them.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe a negative feeling or reaction.
- 2Both words involve causing discomfort or annoyance.
- 3Both words can be used to describe a person's behavior or actions.
- 4Both words can be used in a figurative or literal sense.
- 5Both words are commonly used in everyday language.
What is the difference?
- 1Intensity: Aggravate implies a more severe or intense level of annoyance or frustration than irritate.
- 2Cause: Aggravate suggests that the cause of the negative feeling is external, while irritate can refer to both internal and external causes.
- 3Duration: Aggravate suggests a longer-lasting or ongoing negative feeling, while irritate can refer to a temporary or short-lived annoyance.
- 4Usage: Aggravate is more formal and less commonly used in everyday language than irritate.
- 5Connotation: Aggravate has a more negative connotation than irritate, which can also be used in a more neutral or even positive context.
Remember this!
Aggravate and irritate are synonyms that describe negative feelings or reactions caused by annoyance or frustration. However, aggravate implies a more severe or intense level of annoyance or frustration caused by an external factor, while irritate can refer to both internal and external causes and may be less severe or temporary.
