Aggravates is spelled with two 'a' sounds, two 'g' sounds, a long 'a' sound, a 'v' sound, an 'a' sound, a 't' sound, and a silent 'e'. The first 'a' sound is pronounced as in "cat" /æ/ and the second as in "father" /ə/. The 'g's are pronounced as a hard 'g' /ɡ/. The long 'a' sound is pronounced as in "day" /eɪ/. The 'v' sound is pronounced as in "violin" /v/. The final 'a' sound is pronounced as in "about" /ə/. The 't' sound is pronounced as in "top" /t/. The silent 'e' does not have a pronunciation.
The term "aggravates" is a verb derived from the noun "aggravation," indicating an action that intensifies, worsens, or provokes a particular condition, situation, or feeling, especially in a negative or irritating way. When something aggravates, it contributes to the exacerbation or escalation of an existing problem, making it more severe, troublesome, or annoying.
In the context of physical health, "aggravates" refers to actions, substances, or conditions that cause discomfort, pain, or irritation to an injury, illness, or condition, worsening its symptoms or hindering the healing process. For instance, applying pressure to a bruise or moving a broken bone may aggravate the injury, causing more pain.
On a psychological level, "aggravates" relates to actions, events, or circumstances that heighten emotional distress, annoyance, or frustration. This can range from engaging in conflictive conversations that escalate tensions, to facing constant interruptions during a task that hinder productivity and induce irritation.
Furthermore, "aggravates" can also describe actions or behaviors that tend to worsen or intensify existing problems, without necessarily implying a negative connotation. For instance, a stimulant drug might aggravate a person's attention deficit, heightening their focus and concentration.
In summary, "aggravates" is a verb that portrays the act of exacerbating, intensifying, or worsening a condition, situation, or feeling, either physically or emotionally. It encompasses actions, substances, or circumstances that further irritate, escalate, or deteriorate an existing state in a negative, irritating, or problematic manner.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "aggravate" originated from the Latin word "aggravare", which is a combination of "ad-" meaning "to" or "towards", and "gravare" meaning "to make heavy". In Latin, "aggravare" was used figuratively to mean "to make worse" or "to burden". Over time, the word entered the English language in the 16th century with the same meaning, and eventually "aggravate" came to be commonly used to describe actions or situations that cause annoyance, irritation, or frustration.