exasperate

[ ig-zas-puh-reyt ]

See synonyms for exasperate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ex·as·per·at·ed, ex·as·per·at·ing.

to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely: He was exasperated by the senseless delays.
Archaic. to increase the intensity or violence of (disease, pain, feelings, etc.).

adjective

Botany. rough; covered with hard, projecting points, as a leaf.

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 -ate¹

synonym study For exasperate

1. See irritate.

Other words for exasperate

1	incense, provoke, anger, vex, inflame, infuriate
2	exacerbate

See synonyms for exasperate on Thesaurus.com

Other words from exasperate

ex·as·per·at·er, noun
ex·as·per·at·ing·ly, adverb
un·ex·as·per·at·ing, adjective

Words that may be confused with exasperate

exacerbate, exasperate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use exasperate in a sentence

Palmer's inability to reach a synthesis in almost any area of his life is what makes him exasperating.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up | Tom Boswell | September 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It reads like a fully realized epistolary novel, by turns exasperating and poignant and always funny.
A Plot Against Living: J.F. Powers’s ‘Suitable Accommodations’ | D. G. Myers | August 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
But the ugly scramble was exasperating—and leaves us facing yet another showdown before spring, says John Avlon.
Congress’s Fiscal-Cliff Chaos: House Passes Last-Minute Deal | John Avlon | January 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
While exasperating his own side, Gingrich was fascinated by the 42nd president.
How Newt Gingrich Crashed and Burned When He Was House Speaker | Howard Kurtz, Lois Romano | December 27, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
It was exasperating, it was humiliating but, I am ashamed to admit it today, it was also somewhat flattering.
The DSK Case: Flirting, Groping, and Rape | Nina Sutton | May 24, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

My failure to accomplish the desired result is grievously exasperating, and I feel deeply humiliated.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
Several circumstances at this time combined to make this escape peculiarly exasperating to the Confederates.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War | Various
My pampered pet is an exasperating little sneak that cannot be trusted for a minute.
The Red Cow and Her Friends | Peter McArthur
They kept trotting about in circles, and avoided the warriors with a persistency that must have been exasperating to them.
The Young Ranchers | Edward S. Ellis
What a tremendous jar that would give Bland's exasperating complacency.
The Hidden Places | Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for exasperate

exasperate

/ (ɪɡˈzɑːspəˌreɪt) /

verb(tr)

to cause great irritation or anger to; infuriate
to cause (an unpleasant feeling, condition, etc) to worsen; aggravate

adjective

botany having a rough prickly surface because of the presence of hard projecting points

Origin of exasperate

C16: from Latin exasperāre to make rough, from asper rough

Derived forms of exasperate

exasperatedly, adverb
exasperater, noun
exasperating, adjective
exasperatingly, adverb
exasperation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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