aggravate

Where does the word "aggravate" come from? It comes from Latin gravis, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Aggravate’s story begins in Latin: gravis meant “heavy, weighty.” Heavy, weighty, combined with ad- (to). Within Latin, it grew into aggravare by ancient. To make heavier, to make worse, from ad- and gravare. It reached English by 1500s as aggravate. First recorded in 1530 in John Palsgrave's 'Lesclarcissement', the first grammar of French written for English speakers. Today, aggravate means to make a bad situation worse, or to irritate someone.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient gravis "heavy, weighty", heavy, weighty, combined with ad- (to).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient aggravare "to make heavier, to make worse", to make heavier, to make worse, from ad- and gravare.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s aggravate "to make a situation worse, or to annoy someone", first recorded in 1530 in John Palsgrave's 'Lesclarcissement', the first grammar of French written for English speakers.