Literary notes about aggravated (AI summary)
The term "aggravated" is often deployed to intensify descriptions of both physical states and emotional experiences, serving as a linguistic tool to demonstrate an escalation of severity or complexity. It can denote a literal worsening of conditions—such as intensified physical pain or disease symptoms [1, 2]—or figuratively heighten emotional states, like deepening anger, despair, or fear [3, 4]. In historical and social commentaries, the word underscores how external circumstances or policies exacerbate already difficult situations, be it in matters of public distress [5, 6] or moral and political decay [7]. Thus, authors leverage "aggravated" to inject a sense of mounting tension and urgency, enriching the narrative with a layered intensity that resonates with the reader.