aggravate
AG-ruh-vaytverbMeaning to make worse; also, in everyday speech, to annoy
Memory hook ag-GRAV-ate: make it HEAVIER. Sami’s backpack is already heavy, and then Jonah sneaks a big rock into it. Grav means heavy: to aggravate a problem is to make it heavier.
Lifting heavy boxes aggravated the coach’s sore back.
In context Instead of calming the argument, Pip aggravated it by reminding his sister of every unfair thing she had ever done.
Similar worsen, exacerbate, inflame, compound
Opposite alleviate, ease, improve
From Latin aggravare, “to make heavier”: ad (to) + gravis (heavy).