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:
- Irritate often refers to causing someone annoyance or slight anger, think of it on a more personal level.
- Aggravate typically means to make something worse, often related to a situation rather than a person.
- Use irritate when describing small annoyances or discomforts such as a scratchy tag on clothing.
- Aggravate is frequently used in a medical or problem-solving context, while irritate is used more casually.
- Consider irritate for annoyances and aggravate for escalating problems.
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