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aggravate the problem

[uh-GRAV-ayt thuh PRAB-lem]
verb phrase
agravar o problema
1. to make a problem worse or more serious; to intensify or exacerbate a difficult situation
Adding more regulations will only aggravate the problem.
Adicionar mais regulamentações apenas agravará o problema.
2. to increase the severity or complexity of an existing issue
His refusal to communicate aggravated the problem between them.
A recusa dele em se comunicar agravou o problema entre eles.
NYC Slang
make things worse / mess things up more
Synonyms
worsen the problemexacerbate the problemintensify the problemcompound the problemmake the problem worse
Antonyms
alleviate the problemimprove the situationmitigate the problemresolve the problemsolve the problem

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
agravar o problema
Most common usage across Brazil
São Paulo
piorar o problema
Informal alternative, frequently used in colloquial speech
Portugal
agravar o problema
Standard usage in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

add fuel to the fire
throw fuel on the fire
make matters worse
add insult to injury
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