exasperate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
verb
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to cause great irritation or anger to; infuriate
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to cause (an unpleasant feeling, condition, etc) to worsen; aggravate
adjective
Synonym Usage
See irritate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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exasperaternoun
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exasperationnoun
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exasperatingadjective
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unexasperatingadjective
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exasperatedlyadverb
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exasperatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exasperatesimple
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exasperatessimple
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have exasperatedperfect
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has exasperatedperfect
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am exasperatingprogressive
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are exasperatingprogressive
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is exasperatingprogressive
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have been exasperatingperfect progressive
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has been exasperatingperfect progressive
Past
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exasperatedsimple
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had exasperatedperfect
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was exasperatingprogressive
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were exasperatingprogressive
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had been exasperatingperfect progressive
Future
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
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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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.
See Examples For:
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
The series can tend toward the twee, and the characters can exasperate.
From New York Times ● Sep. 1, 2022
Simpson’s funny and moving tale is more successful, though its ambling pace and episodic structure may exasperate lovers of tight narrative.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 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
What further exasperates the residents of the complex is that there is a GP surgery less than 100m from their building.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2024
Some draw comparisons with China’s relationship with North Korea, whose leadership exasperates Beijing at times with erratic behavior but nonetheless benefits from Chinese economic aid and diplomatic support.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
Ragnar speaks only Icelandic, which baffles and sometimes exasperates the priest.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 13, 2023
Hammarskjöld’s death is one of many unsolved mysteries in “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” a twisty, thorny new documentary that grips, jolts and exasperates in roughly equal measure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2019
She exasperates him, as she does everyone who roots for her success, but he loves her mind and courage.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
It’s funny, my mother used to look at me with an expression that was neither mocking nor exasperated, merely seasoned, and say, “Baby, not everything needs to be a production.”
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Jack Loder, a clearly exasperated digital content producer for the Giants’ flagship station KNBR, posted a two-minute video on X shortly after the game that singled out Webb for criticism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
At one point, an exasperated Wataka pulled out his phone to prove that the composers had been dead for generations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
As time passed and no government help appeared, del Giudice became exasperated and flailed at the rubble.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Layla sounded exasperated and hurt, and it made Ivy’s stomach feel sour.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Dealing with a call center or an automated teller might have been exasperating.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
The play-calling could be as exasperating in victory as well as defeat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
At some forecourts in Bamako, motorists are met by a note bearing three, exasperating words - "no fuel today".
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
Some of them, in fact, are quite exasperating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
It was the same exasperating thing he'd done back at the temple when he disagreed with Pong but wanted Pong to figure out why for himself.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
