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exasperate

American  
[ig-zas-puh-reyt] / ɪgˈzæs pəˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

exasperated, exasperating

  1. to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely.

    He was exasperated by the senseless delays.
    Synonyms:
    infuriate, inflame, vex, anger, provoke, incense

  2. Archaic. to increase the intensity or violence of (disease, pain, feelings, etc.).

    Synonyms:
    exacerbate

adjective

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

exasperate British  
/ ɪɡˈzɑːspəˌreɪt /

verb

  1. to cause great irritation or anger to; infuriate

  2. to cause (an unpleasant feeling, condition, etc) to worsen; aggravate

"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

adjective

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

"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

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:

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

Penn State has four 11-win seasons since 2016 under Franklin, but here are the numbers that exasperate Nittany Lions fans: 1-9 against Ohio State; 3-16 vs. top-10 teams; 1-13 vs.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2023

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.