Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Aggravate'

English Word: Aggravate

Key Russian Translations:

• Усугублять [ʊsʊɡʊbˈlʲætʲ] - [Formal, Often used in serious or negative contexts]
• Отягощать [ɐtʲɪɡɐˈʂːætʲ] - [Formal, Often metaphorical or emotional]
• Раздражать [rɐzdrɐˈʐætʲ] - [Informal, Often used for irritation or annoyance]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in formal and informal contexts depending on the translation)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies slightly by translation: "Раздражать" is B1, while "Усугублять" and "Отягощать" are B2)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Усугублять: [ʊsʊɡʊbˈlʲætʲ]

Note on Усугублять: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "у" sounds like the "oo" in "food."

Отягощать: [ɐtʲɪɡɐˈʂːætʲ]

Note on Отягощать: Stress on the third syllable. The "щ" is a soft, hissing sound unique to Russian.

Раздражать: [rɐzdrɐˈʐætʲ]

Note on Раздражать: Stress on the third syllable. The "ж" sounds like the "s" in "measure."

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To make a situation or problem worse

Translation(s) & Context:

• Усугублять - Used for worsening situations, often in formal or serious contexts (e.g., conflicts, problems).
• Отягощать - Often used metaphorically to imply burdening or complicating a situation.

Usage Examples:

• Его слова только усугубили конфликт.

  His words only aggravated the conflict.

• Новые налоги усугубляют экономическую ситуацию.

  New taxes are aggravating the economic situation.

• Её молчание отягощает наше положение.

  Her silence aggravates our situation.

2. To annoy or irritate someone

Translation(s) & Context:

• Раздражать - Used for personal irritation or annoyance, often in casual or informal speech.

Usage Examples:

• Его постоянные жалобы меня раздражают.

  His constant complaints aggravate me.

• Этот шум раздражает всех в комнате.

  This noise aggravates everyone in the room.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Усугублять (Verb, Imperfective):

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense (M/F/N)
1st Singular	Усугубляю	Усугублял / Усугубляла / Усугубляло
3rd Plural	Усугубляют	Усугубляли

Note: Perfective form is "Усугубить." Used to indicate completed action.

Отягощать (Verb, Imperfective) and Раздражать (Verb, Imperfective) follow similar conjugation patterns with their respective perfective forms "Отяготить" and "Раздражить."

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for Усугублять:

• Ухудшать (to worsen)
• Обострять (to exacerbate)

Note: "Ухудшать" is more general, while "Обострять" often implies escalation of tension.

Antonyms for Усугублять:

• Улучшать (to improve)
• Облегчать (to alleviate)

Related Phrases:

• Усугубить положение - To aggravate the situation (used in formal contexts).
• Раздражать нервы - To aggravate nerves (colloquial, meaning to annoy someone).
• Отягощать совесть - To aggravate one’s conscience (metaphorical, implying guilt or burden).

Usage Notes:

• "Усугублять" is the most direct translation for worsening a situation and is often used in formal or written language. It implies a deliberate or significant negative impact.
• "Отягощать" carries a heavier, often emotional or metaphorical tone, and is less common in everyday speech.
• "Раздражать" is specifically used for personal irritation and should not be used for abstract situations like "aggravating a problem."
• Be mindful of the aspect (imperfective/perfective) when using these verbs, as it affects the completeness of the action in Russian.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "Раздражать" to describe worsening a situation (e.g., *Этот закон раздражает проблему* - incorrect). Correction: Use "Усугублять" instead (Этот закон усугубляет проблему).
• Error: Ignoring verb aspect, e.g., using "Усугублять" for a completed action. Correction: Use the perfective "Усугубить" (e.g., Он усугубил проблему - He aggravated the problem).

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, expressions of irritation ("Раздражать") are often more direct and emotionally charged compared to English. Complaining about something or someone annoying you is culturally acceptable in casual conversation, but overusing it in formal settings may seem unprofessional.

Related Concepts:

• Ухудшение (worsening)
• Раздражение (irritation)
• Обострение (escalation)