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.

Kura Sushi’s price bump comes as Americans are exasperated with paying more for food in grocery store aisles and when eating out.

From The Wall Street Journal

That the prime minister can turn things around, as one of his exasperated cabinet allies said, "people just really want us to fix it".

From BBC

His aunt’s sigh was somewhere between exasperated and tender, the most motherly sound she’d ever made to him.

From Literature

Abu looked exasperated, probably thinking this was what he got for working with the new boy.

From Literature

“I don’t know how to draw a map,” I say, exasperated.

From Literature

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