exasperate

[verb ig-zas-puh-reyt; adjective ig-zas-per-it]

See more 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

1525–35; < Latin exasperātus (past participle of exasperāre to make rough, provoke), equivalent to ex- ex-¹ + asper harsh, rough + -ātus -ate¹

Related formsex·as·per·at·ed·ly, adverbex·as·per·at·er, nounex·as·per·at·ing·ly, adverbun·ex·as·per·at·ed, adjectiveun·ex·as·per·at·ing, adjective

Can be confusedexacerbate exasperate

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

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

Synonym study

1. See irritate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for exasperate

Historical Examples

Rather submit to anything than exasperate his enemies; so she rose, with an effort.
The False Chevalier
William Douw Lighthall
Erasmus wished to please the Pope and not exasperate Luther.
Short Studies on Great Subjects
James Anthony Froude
It would not subdue the savages; it would only exasperate them.
The Adventures of the Chevalier De La Salle and His Companions, in Their Explorations of the Prairies, Forests, Lakes, and Rivers, of the New World, and Their Interviews with the Savage Tribes, Two Hundred Years Ago
John S. C. Abbott
The effect of this dialogue on the listener was not to melt, but exasperate her.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 101, March, 1866
Various
Bendel would shrug his shoulders, grin, and exasperate his wife.
Original Short Stories, Volume 8 (of 13)
Guy de Maupassant

British Dictionary definitions for exasperate

exasperate

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

Derived Formsexasperatedly, adverbexasperater, nounexasperating, adjectiveexasperatingly, adverbexasperation, noun

Word Origin

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

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

Word Origin and History for exasperate

v.

1530s, from Latin exasperatus, past participle of exasperare "roughen, irritate, provoke," from ex- "thoroughly" (see ex-) + asper "rough" (see asperity). Related: Exasperated; exasperating.

exasperate

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}exasperate

Synonyms

Synonym study

Related Words

Examples from the Web for exasperate

Historical Examples

Rather submit to anything than exasperate his enemies; so she rose, with an effort.

Erasmus wished to please the Pope and not exasperate Luther.

It would not subdue the savages; it would only exasperate them.

The effect of this dialogue on the listener was not to melt, but exasperate her.

Bendel would shrug his shoulders, grin, and exasperate his wife.

exasperate

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for exasperate

v.

Origin of exasperate