Definitions
- Referring to making a situation or problem more severe or intense. - Describing the act of irritating or annoying someone. - Talking about making an injury or illness more severe or painful.
- Describing the act of making a situation or problem more difficult or unpleasant. - Referring to making an illness or injury more severe or dangerous. - Talking about making a relationship or situation more strained or negative.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe a negative change in a situation.
- 2Both can be used to describe the intensification of a problem or issue.
- 3Both can be used to describe the worsening of a medical condition or injury.
What is the difference?
- 1Cause: Aggravate implies that the cause of the negative change is due to an external factor or action, while worsen does not necessarily imply a specific cause.
- 2Intensity: Aggravate implies a more severe or intense negative change than worsen.
- 3Usage: Aggravate is more commonly used to describe the irritation or annoyance of a person, while worsen is more commonly used to describe the deterioration of a situation or condition.
- 4Connotation: Aggravate can have a negative connotation, implying that someone is intentionally making a situation worse, while worsen is more neutral in connotation.
- 5Formality: Worsen is more commonly used in formal contexts, while aggravate is more informal.
Remember this!
Aggravate and worsen are synonyms that both describe a negative change in a situation, but they differ in their cause, intensity, usage, connotation, and formality. Aggravate implies a more severe or intense negative change caused by an external factor or action, while worsen does not necessarily imply a specific cause and is more neutral in connotation. Aggravate is more commonly used to describe the irritation or annoyance of a person, while worsen is more commonly used to describe the deterioration of a situation or condition. Worsen is more formal in usage than aggravate.
