Synonyms

exasperate

American

[ig-zas-puh-reyt] / ɪgˈzæs pəˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

exasperated, exasperating

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

He was exasperated by the senseless delays.

Synonyms:

infuriate, inflame, vex, anger, provoke, incense
Archaic. to increase the intensity or violence of (disease, pain, feelings, etc.).

Synonyms:

exacerbate

adjective

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

exasperate British

/ ɪɡˈzɑːspəˌreɪt /

verb

to cause great irritation or anger to; infuriate
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

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:

exasperate vs. exacerbate

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.

Though this material provides context, the book’s habit of teasing the titular riot several times and then jumping to another topic gets a bit exasperating.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Bini Suresh, a dietitian, who has spent 20 years working with obese and overweight patients, is exasperated by the idea.

From BBC

Biopics are “an exasperating genre,” Variety wrote, smushing some of “the planet’s most unorthodox personalities into a reductive, overly moralistic mold.”

From The Wall Street Journal

To further exasperate the lingering injury bug, Reaves left the game after the first half because of left calf soreness.

From Los Angeles Times

Avuncular and experienced, he advises her to be more likable, which seems futile, because everyone she meets quickly gets exasperated by her combination of earnest idealism and hall-monitor insistence.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023