Aggravated is an adjective meaning made more serious or severe, or irritated or annoyed to a high degree. It often describes circumstances, behavior, or reactions that have been intensified. In legal contexts it can denote a heightened level of seriousness or intent. The pronunciation emphasizes the second syllable, and the word flows with two unstressed syllables surrounding a stressed nucleus.
- US: rhoticity is standard; you’ll hear /ɹ/ in initial sequences and a full /ɡræv/ cluster. - UK: slight tightening of vowels; non-rhotic tendencies in some contexts, but the word keeps /ɹ/ absent where rhotic, more clipped final /d/. - AU: similar to US but vowels tend to be more open and elongated; diphthongs may be a touch broader. - IPA references: US /əˈɡræv.əˌteɪd/, UK /əˈɡræv.əˌteɪd/, AU /əˈɡræv.əˌteɪd/.
"The driver was arrested after aggravated assault."
"Her aggravated performance issues extended over several weeks."
"The judge considered the defendant’s aggravated circumstances when sentencing."
"He gave an aggravated sigh when the report failed again."
Aggravated derives from the Latin aggravare, meaning to heap up or to make heavier. The root ag- meaning ‘toward’ or ‘to’ plus gravis meaning ‘heavy, serious’ evolved in Old French as aggraver and into English by the Middle Ages. The sense shifted from “to make heavier” in a literal physical sense to “to aggravate” in the figurative sense—making a problem worse, or increasing displeasure or severity. By the late 16th to 17th centuries, aggravated carried the nuance of increasing intensity in circumstances or actions, which later extended to legal usage indicating heightened severity or intent. In modern English, aggravated is widely used across everyday language and legal contexts, maintaining the core sense of increased gravity or irritability while also commonly describing escalated behavior or conditions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Aggravated" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Aggravated" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Aggravated"
-ted sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as a-GRAV-a-ted, with primary stress on the second syllable: /əˈɡræv.əˌteɪd/ or /əˈɡrævəˌteɪd/. The /æ/ in GRAV is a bright open-front vowel; the /teɪd/ ending has a long A followed by a voiced alveolar stop and a final /d/. Use a quick, light /d/ release at the end. If you need a precise cue, think: “uh-GRAV-uh-ted.”
Common mistakes: (1) Placing primary stress on the first syllable (a-GRAV-a-ted) rather than second; (2) Reducing the /æ/ or flattening the /eɪ/ toward a short vowel; (3) Over-attaching the final /d/ as a light /t/ or not releasing it. Correction tips: emphasize the second syllable with a sharper /æ/ and clearly articulate the /teɪd/ ending, allowing a full /d/ release. Practicing minimal pairs (grav/grav-ate) can help. Focus on the vocally energetic middle and final consonant cluster to preserve rhythm.
US pronunciation typically /əˈɡræv.əˌteɪd/, with a clear /ɡræv/. UK often mirrors this but with slightly tighter vowel qualities and non-rhoticity in some regions; AU tends to maintain /æ/ and /eɪ/ clearly, with a possibly longer duration on the final syllable. The main difference is vowel quality in the first stressed syllable and the speed of the final /eɪd/ in connected speech. Overall, the rhythm remains stress-timed across accents.
Key challenges include the two-consonant cluster /ɡræv/ with a short, bright /æ/ followed by /v/ and the diphthong /eɪ/ in the final stressed syllable, which some speakers merge or shorten. The sequence /ɡr/ after a neutral schwa needs careful timing, and the final /d/ release should not become a t. Paying attention to the syllable boundary and maintaining a steady tempo helps keep the word clear.
There is no silent letter in aggravated. Every vowel and consonant in the syllables a- grat- -ed contribute to the pronunciation. The first vowel sound is unstressed (schwa) before the stressed /ɡræv/ syllable, and the final /ed/ is pronounced with a clear /eɪd/ rather than silencing any of the letters. Keeping all segments audible helps clarity.
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