Master confusing words with ease
Irritate vs. Aggravate
Irritate
/ˈɪrəteɪt/Examples:
The loud music began to irritate my sensitive ears.Her constant interruptions started to irritate him.Rubbing the skin with wool can irritate it severely.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Aggravate
/ˈæɡrəveɪt/Examples:
Loud noises aggravate her migraine immensely.Unnecessary delays only aggravate the situation.His comments served to aggravate their disagreement.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Both irritate and aggravate can describe actions that cause discomfort or annoyance, but they are used in slightly different contexts.
- Irritate is often used for physical sensations, such as skin irritation, or for minor annoyances.
- Aggravate usually refers to making a situation worse or more serious, especially in formal contexts, such as aggravating a problem or a crime.
- Irritate rhymes with elate, but it does not make someone happy, it makes them annoyed instead.
- Knowing the context in which each word is typically used will help avoid confusion.
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