Aggravate v.

v.; also 6 agrauate. [f. AGGRAVATE ppl. a.; used to render L. aggravāre, and replace the earlier AGGREGE. The appearance of the Fr. ag(g)raver (a Latinized refashioning of the earlier agrever), also adopted in Eng. as aggrave, probably helped the prevalence of aggravate. See AGGRAVE, AGGRIEVE, AGGREGE.] To make heavy or heavier; hence, to put weight on; to add weight to; to add apparent weight or importance, to exaggerate.

  I.  To put weight upon.

  † 1.  trans. To make heavy; to load, burden, weigh down; hence, to cumber, impede, retard. Obs.

1530.  Palsgr., 418/2. A folysshe answere may agravate [Fr. agreger ou agrauer] a mannes mater more than one wolde wene of.

1578.  T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 252. That they doe not agravate or molest your subjectes.

1598.  Yong, Diana, 176. A great greefe aggrauateth the hart that suffers it.

1603.  Florio, Montaigne (1632), 147. He was so exceedingly aggravated with travell, and over-tired with wearinesse, and want of sleep.

  † b.  To load (any one) with. Obs.

1573.  Twyne, Cont. Phayer’s Æneidos, XI. H h iij b. Drances … Standes up, and him in wordes doth blame, and aggrauates with ire.

[Cf. 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, XI. vii. 112. Aggregeing on him wraith. L. aggerat iras.]

  † 2.  To load or heap anything heavy upon. Obs.

1583.  Stubbes, Anat. Abuses (1877), 98. If the punishment … were aggrauated and executed upon the offenders.

1586.  T. B., trans. La Primaudaye’s Fr. Acad., II. (1594), 62. To aggrauate so much the more his iust and fearefull iudgement vpon our heades.

1790.  Burke, Fr. Revol., 39. In order to lighten the crown still further, they aggravated responsibility on ministers of state.

  † 3.  trans. To lay to the charge of any one; to bring as a charge or ‘gravamen’ (against). Obs.

1626.  Meade, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 329, III. 233. Aggravating it as an act of Rebellion.

1641.  Baker, Chron. (1679), 80/2. Their spokesman to the King to aggravate his breach of promise.

1678.  Marvell, Corr., 321, Wks. 1872–5, II. 580. His having appeared at the King’s Pench barre, being aggravated as a new crime against him.

  † 4.  absol. To bring charges (upon). Obs.

1672.  Marvell, Rehears. Transp., I. 120. While he aggravates upon Religion … he doth so far alleviate and encourage Debauchery.

1679.  Jenison, Narr. Pop. Plot, 39. I love to tread softly on the Graves of the deceased, and therefore shall no further aggravate.

  II.  To add weight to.

  † 5.  trans. To add weight or intensity to; to strengthen, increase or magnify. Obs. in gen. sense.

1549.  Coverdale, Paraphr. Erasm. Heb. vi. 16. Men to aggrauate theyr othe do swere by hym that is greater.

1635.  W. Austin, Medit., 46. All these aggravate the greatnesse of his Humility: and that, aggravates the greatnesse of his Love.

1698.  in Col. Rec. Penn., I. 544. Becaus Coll. Quarry, the Judge of the admiralty, aggravats it as an action of y^e governments.

  6.  esp. a. Of things evil: To increase the gravity of, to make more grievous or burdensome; to make worse, intensify, exacerbate.

1597.  Daniel, Civ. Wares, II. xvi. To aggravate thine owne afflictions store.

1610.  Healey, St. Aug., City of God, 460. Why doe we agravate our misery?

1756.  Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. I. 10. To introduce new mischiefs or to aggravate and inflame the old.

1788.  Johnson, Lett., 143, I. 312. If grief either caused or aggravated poor Queeney’s illness.

1824.  Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 93. To aggravate the terror of his invective.

1875.  Bryce, Holy Rom. Emp., vi. (ed. 5), 86. Its dangers from foreign enemies were aggravated by the plots of the court.

1880.  Gladstone, in Daily News, 16 March, 2/8. Instead of relieving all estates up to 2,000l. he aggravates the duty at 500l.

  b.  Of offences: To make more heinous, or offensive; to increase in offensiveness.

1596.  Edward III., II. i. 24. That sin doth ten times aggravate itself That is committed in a holy place.

1616.  R. C., Times’ Whistle, iv. 1448. Th’ offenders greatnesse aggravates th’ offence.

1749.  Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. vii. (1840), 262/2. Falsehood will only aggravate your guilt.

1878.  Gladstone, Prim. Homer, 111. Gross wrong to his mother, aggravated by what follows with himself.

  7.  To exasperate, incense, embitter (a person); fam. to provoke, arouse the evil feelings of.

1611.  Cotgr., Aggravanter, to aggravate, exasperate.

1634.  Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 93. This aggra[va]ted the Persian king exceedingly to be so bearded.

1748.  Richardson, Clarissa (1811), I. 345. If both were to aggravate her parents, as my brother and sister do mine.

1858.  Thackeray, Virg., xvii. 134. Threats only served to aggravate people in such cases.

  b.  To irritate, inflame (physically).

1880.  Miss Bird, Japan, I. 366. With stinging wood smoke aggravating the eyes.

  III.  To add weight unduly.

  8.  To make the most of; to represent (a thing) as graver, more serious, or more important; to exaggerate. Obs. exc. in extension of 6.

c. 1555.  Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 179. Setting forth and aggravating the great spoil late made in Rome.

1580.  Baret, Alvearie, A 231. To Aggrauate and make more then it is, Exaggerare rem.

1674.  Marvell, Rehears. Transp., II. 220. I have not in the least aggravated your sense or words.

1740.  in Col. Rec. Penn., IV. 441. You have greatly aggravated the number of Servants inlisted by calling them several hundreds.

1876.  Freeman, Norm. Conq., III. xii. 251. It was not hard, whenever it was convenient, to insist on and to aggravate the offence.