exasperated

adjective

ex·as·per·at·ed | \ ig-ˈza-spə-ˌrā-təd

Definition of exasperated

: having or showing strong feelings of irritation or annoyance an exasperated sigh Ricardo congratulated himself on having left his revolver behind. He was so exasperated that he didn't know what he might have done.— Joseph Conrad … she is the sort of curmudgeon who makes a point of trampling on flower beds when she goes for a walk, and greets the death of her longtime housekeeper … with a grim, exasperated roll of the eyes.— Ben Brantley

Other Words from exasperated Synonyms Exacerbate vs. Exasperate Learn More About exasperated

Other Words from exasperated

exasperatedly adverb

"I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!" said Sirius exasperatedly, hurrying back out of the room. — J. K. Rowling It's aggravation that motivates Tennison's signature tic: running her fingers exasperatedly through her short, faded blonde hair. — Rand Richards Cooper

Exacerbate vs. Exasperate

Exacerbate is frequently confused with exasperate, and with good reason. Not only do these words resemble one another in spelling and pronunciation, they also at one time held exceedingly similar meanings. Exasperate is today most commonly used as a synonym of annoy, but for several hundred years it also had the meanings “to make more grievous” and “to make harsh or harsher.” Exacerbate is now the more common choice of these two words when one seeks to indicate that something is becoming increasingly bitter, violent, or unpleasant. It comes in part from the Latin word acer, meaning “sharp,” whereas exasperate is from asper, the Latin word for “rough.”