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 for exasperate

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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

Related Words for exasperated

annoy, disturb, embitter, peeve, infuriate, vex, excite, incense, enrage, agitate, rile, irk, irritate, gall, rankle, aggravate, pique, needle, get, madden

Examples from the Web for exasperated

Contemporary Examples of exasperated

As I hasten to reassure these exasperated moms and dads, I had to be in the office anyway.
The Doctor’s Note Must Die!
Russell Saunders
September 16, 2014
Finally, an exasperated Eisenhower ordered the support necessary to help recover Paris.
Who Liberated Paris in August 1944?
August 24, 2014
After angrily sharing a secret about the friend who posted about him, he catches himself and laughs, exasperated.
The App Bringing Out The Best/Worst in Washington’s Gays
Scott Bixby
May 31, 2014
Exasperated at one point, Corker asked, “Well do we need an AUMF or not?”
Obama Admin. Channels Cheney, Claims Unlimited War Powers
Eli Lake
May 21, 2014
One member in particular, Colonel Leicester Stanhope, exasperated Byron by wasting money on nonsense.
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy
Michael Weiss
February 16, 2014

Historical Examples of exasperated

Just then a warrior forced his way into the exasperated crowd.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
She had shut the door, and entered, exasperated anew by the rising wind.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown
"I wish I was sure," declared the fat adventurer, exasperated.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
The woman, the amorosa, alone remained in her, outraged and exasperated by a rival.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
I was told by an officer coming from the army that the soldiers are exasperated.
Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863
Adam Gurowski

British Dictionary definitions for exasperated

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 for exasperate

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 exasperated

exasperate

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