exasperate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
verb
-
to cause great irritation or anger to; infuriate
-
to cause (an unpleasant feeling, condition, etc) to worsen; aggravate
adjective
Related Words
See irritate.
Other Word Forms
- exasperatedly adverb
- exasperater noun
- exasperating adjective
- exasperatingly adverb
- exasperation noun
- unexasperating adjective
Etymology
Origin of exasperate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin exasperātus (past participle of exasperāre “to make rough, provoke”), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + asper “harsh, rough” + -ātus -ate 1
Compare meaning
How does exasperate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
To exasperate someone is to annoy him or her to the point of impatience, frustration and irritation, like when you exasperate a busy waiter by asking questions like "what are all the ingredients in the salad dressing?" and making him repeat the specials five times. The verb exasperate comes from the Latin word exasperatus, which means “to roughen,” “irritate,” or “provoke.” To exasperate is to make something that is already bad even worse, like when sitting in traffic that is sure to make you late, you exasperate the person who is driving by bringing up an unpleasant topic, or the addition of twenty more students that exasperates the crowding in the cafeteria.
Vocabulary lists containing exasperate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To further exasperate the lingering injury bug, Reaves left the game after the first half because of left calf soreness.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025
He could exasperate editors with his strongly held opinions and his prodigal ways with an expense account.
From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024
The issues exasperate many of the remaining businesses.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 23, 2024
However, quite how the hosts did not manage to win will mystify and exasperate the new man at the helm.
From BBC • Oct. 18, 2022
Such a circumstance could only exasperate farther, and, when he ceased, the colour rose into her cheeks, and she said:
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
