agravar

Agravar is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese to express making something worse or more serious. It can refer to worsening a condition, situation, injury, debt, penalty, or crime. The verb is typically transitive, as in agravar la deuda (to worsen the debt) or agravar un delito (to aggravate a crime). In Spanish, the pronominal form agravar(se) is used when the situation itself worsens, as in la situación se agravó. In Portuguese, the reflexive form agravarse is used in a similar sense, though it is common to say a situação agravou-se instead of using a fully reflexive construction.

Etymology: The verb derives from Latin gravāre, meaning to burden or weigh down, with a prefix that functionalizes it to mean making something heavier or more severe. The sense of increasing weight or severity is retained in both Spanish and Portuguese modern usage, yielding meanings such as “to aggravate” or “to worsen.”

Spanish usage and conjugation notes: Agravar is a regular -ar verb. Present indicative forms: agravo, agravas, agrava, agravamos, agravan. Preterite: agravé, agravaste, agravó, agravamos, agravaron. Imperfect: agravaba, agravabas, agravaba, agravábamos, agravaban. Present subjunctive: agrave, agraves, agrave, agravemos, agraven. Imperfect subjunctive: agravara/agravase, agravaras/agravases, agravara/agravase, agraváramos/agravásemos, agravasen/agravasen.

Portuguese usage and conjugation notes: Agravar is a regular -ar verb. Present: agravo, agravas, agrava, agravamos, agravam. Preterite: agravou, agravaste, agravou, agravamos, agravaram (with tu and vocês forms in corresponding dialects). Imperfect: agravava, agravavas, agravava, agravávamos, agravavam. Present subjunctive: agrave, agreves, agrave, agravemos, agravem. Imperfect subjunctive: agravasse/agravasse, agravasses/agravasses, agravasse, agravássemos, agravassem. Common uses mirror the Spanish pattern: “A crise agravou a situação.”

See also: related terms include empeorar, exacerbar, and aggravante in legal contexts.