aggravator arc

An aggravator arc is the narrative trajectory someone travels when they gradually — or suddenly — become the most disruptive, annoying, or drama-generating person in their circle. Borrowed from storytelling terminology, the arc implies a character development, usually one nobody asked for. You can witness someone's aggravator arc unfolding in real time on social media, or you might only clock it in hindsight after a friendship implodes. Sometimes it's played sympathetically, but mostly it's a gentle roast of someone who went from chill to insufferable across a measurable timeline.