impatience
Americannoun
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lack of patience.
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eager desire for relief or change; restlessness.
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intolerance of anything that thwarts, delays, or hinders.
noun
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lack of patience; intolerance of or irritability with anything that impedes or delays
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restless desire for change and excitement
Etymology
Origin of impatience
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English impacience, from Latin impatientia; see im- 2, patience
Explanation
Impatience is the tendency to be irritable or easily frustrated. A bus driver's impatience often results in her yelling, honking her horn, and gesturing angrily at other drivers. If you are easily annoyed or provoked, your impatience is showing. Impatience is also why you hate being late, or having to wait for something or someone. It comes from patience, the habit or trait of being able to wait calmly or even tolerate discomfort without complaining. The "opposite of" prefix im- tells you that impatience is the complete opposite.
Vocabulary lists containing impatience
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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Selection Vocabulary 5, Unit 1
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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.
The conference bypassed the United Nations climate process altogether, reflecting a growing impatience with its failure to tackle fossil fuels, the main driver of global warming.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
In general, they always prefer early records because they’re filled with that youthful sort of impatience.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The US President has previously signalled his impatience with the lack of swift progress in solving the four-year conflict.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
The answer isn’t to abolish heritage months out of impatience or indifference.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Summer of 1918—Breath of hope that sweeps over the scorched fields, raging fever of impatience, of disappointment, of the most agonizing terror of death, insensate question: Why?
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
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.
