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aggravate

verb [T] (MAKE WORSE)
 
 
/ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt/

Definition

to make a bad situation worse: Attempts to restrict parking in the city centre have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion.Deteriorating and making worse to make a disease worse: The treatment only aggravated the condition.Deteriorating and making worse
(Definition of aggravate verb (MAKE WORSE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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