aggravating / complicating
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complicating
Making something more difficult, more complicated, or worse. It describes a circumstance that negatively affects a situation.
Die schlechte Sicht war ein erschwerender Faktor bei der Bergung.
The poor visibility was a complicating factor during the rescue operation.
to be an aggravating factor
A fixed expression, often in a legal context, meaning that an additional negative circumstance makes a situation or a crime worse.
Er war bereits vorbestraft, was bei der Urteilsfindung erschwerend hinzukam.
He already had a criminal record, which was an aggravating factor in determining the sentence.
'Erschwerend' (aggravating/complicating) is the present participle of the verb 'erschweren' (to make more difficult). This verb consists of the prefix 'er-' (which describes a process) and 'schwer' (difficult/heavy). So 'erschweren' means 'to make something more difficult.'
Der starke Wind erschwerte die Löscharbeiten der Feuerwehr.
The strong wind made the firefighters' extinguishing work more difficult.
The adjective is often used in combination with certain nouns to describe negative influences. Typical collocations are 'ein erschwerender Umstand' (a complicating circumstance) or 'ein erschwerender Faktor' (a complicating factor).
Der Nebel war ein erschwerender Umstand für die Autofahrer.
The fog was a complicating circumstance for the drivers.
The fixed expression 'erschwerend hinzukommen' (to be an additional aggravating factor) is often used to introduce another negative point. A typical sentence pattern is: 'Erschwerend kam hinzu, dass ...' (An additional aggravating factor was that ...), followed by a subordinate clause.
Der Spieler war bereits verletzt. Erschwerend kam hinzu, dass er eine gelbe Karte erhielt.
The player was already injured. An additional aggravating factor was that he received a yellow card.
The expression 'erschwerend kommt hinzu' (an additional aggravating factor is) is used very frequently in formal, official, or legal contexts, for example in the news, reports, or in court.
Bei der Urteilsfindung kam erschwerend hinzu, dass der Angeklagte keine Reue zeigte.
In determining the sentence, an additional aggravating factor was that the defendant showed no remorse.
stressful / incriminating
Belastend describes something that causes psychological or emotional pressure. Erschwerend, on the other hand, refers to a circumstance that makes a specific situation more difficult or complicated. The key question is therefore whether the focus is on personal strain or on an additional difficulty.
Der Stromausfall ist bei der Behandlung des Patienten ein erschwerender Umstand.
The power outage is a complicating circumstance in the patient’s treatment.
Die Sorge um den Patienten ist für die Pflegerin sehr belastend.
Worrying about the patient is very stressful for the nurse.
