exasperation
Americannoun
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an act or instance of exasperating; provocation.
-
the state of being exasperated; irritation; extreme annoyance.
Her exasperation at being interrupted was understandable.
Etymology
Origin of exasperation
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin exasperātiōn-, stem of exasperātiō “roughness, bitterness”; equivalent to exasperate + -ion
Explanation
If you've ever become so frustrated with someone or something that you feel like you're at the end of your rope, you have experienced exasperation. You are fed up! Exasperation goes back to the Latin verb exasperare, meaning “to make rough.” When you are in a state of exasperation, you feel like something annoying you've had to put up with has put you in a rough mood. If you take up golf, you might find it to be a source of relaxation or a source of exasperation. Watching you try to teach your dog to fetch, I'm not sure which is more amusing: his stubbornness or your exasperation.
Vocabulary lists containing exasperation
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 1
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A Raisin in the Sun
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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.
"We can't even fill the coffee cups to the brim or they spill," his son Linus, 19, added with an air of amused exasperation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
As part of my research, I caught a livestream of a conference where human-resource officials brought up their exasperation with parents meddling in their Gen Z children’s careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The revelations from the files further fueled the widespread, bipartisan exasperation among voters with the wealthiest elites.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
There is exasperation in the voice of a long time Labour adviser.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
“Easier to ask where I haven’t been,” I say with a sound of exasperation.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
