agravare

Agravare is a verb form found in Latin and some Romance languages that carries the sense of burdening, weighing down, or, more generally, aggravating a situation or condition. In modern English, the word is not commonly used outside historical or linguistic contexts, where it is typically discussed as a root or cognate of terms like aggravate or burden.

Etymology and forms: The term derives from Latin gravare, meaning to make heavy or to burden, and it often appears with a prefix that intensifies the action. In Romance languages, related verbs express the idea of making something worse or more serious. The exact spelling and inflection vary by language: in Italian, the common modern verb is aggravare (to aggravate), while other Romance languages employ forms such as agravar or gravare. The simple form agravar is common in several Iberian languages, whereas agravar can also appear as an older or regional variant. Latin texts may retain agravare as an infinitive or verb form in earlier stages of the language.

Usage and sense: Across languages, agravar/agravar/aggravare conveys worsening a condition, increasing severity, or adding a burden. In legal and rhetorical contexts, cognates of this root appear in expressions describing aggravating circumstances or factors that intensify liability or harm. In modern lexicons, the English equivalents are aggravate, worsen, or intensify, while Romance-language systems preserve distinct inflected forms.

See also: aggravating factor, burden, weigh down, aggravate.