Definition of exasperate
exasperated
;exasperating
exasperatedly
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
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Examples of exasperate in a Sentence
The criticism of his latest movie is sure to exasperate his admirers.
We were exasperated by the delays.
Recent Examples of exasperate from the Web
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His boss continues to complicate negotiations with his shifting comments on how to proceed, frustrating senators who are already exasperated with the distractions of the daily developments on the Russia investigation.
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Exasperated Republicans in Washington continue to wonder why the White House is so bad at heading off these explosions.
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Even White House allies have been exasperated by the constantly shifting narratives on Russia and the steady revelations that have kept the firestorm alive.
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The longstanding practice of scholarship displacement has exasperated nonprofits and students across the country.
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Breathtaking - but exasperating - photos for our readers and New Jersey taxpayers.
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Dariwala is exasperated, arguing the Koran nowhere mentions female circumcision as a mandatory practice.
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Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.
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When McHam didn’t show, a clearly exasperated Superior Court Judge Bob Bell ordered deputies to find him, arrest him and jail him – this time without a bond.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exasperate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Difference Between exasperate and exacerbate
Exasperate hangs with a rough crowd. It derives from exasperatus, the past participle of the Latin verb exasperare, which in turn was formed by combining ex- with asper, meaning "rough." Another descendant of asper in English is asperity, which can refer to the roughness of a surface or the roughness of someone's temper. Another relative, albeit a distant one, is the English word spurn, meaning "to reject." Lest you wish to exasperate your readers, you should take care not to confuse exasperate with the similar-sounding exacerbate, another Latin-derived verb that means "to make worse," as in "Their refusal to ask for help only exacerbated the problem."
Origin and Etymology of exasperate
Latin exasperatus, past participle of exasperare, from ex- + asper rough — more at asperity
Synonym Discussion of exasperate
Definition of exasperate
1 : irritated or annoyed especially to the point of injudicious action : exasperated
2 : roughened with irregular prickles or elevations exasperate seed coats
First Known Use of exasperate
1541
EXASPERATE Defined for English Language Learners
exasperate
playDefinition of exasperate for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone) very angry or annoyed
EXASPERATE Defined for Kids
exasperate
playDefinition of exasperate for Students
exasperated
;exasperating
: to make angry
Learn More about exasperate
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See words that rhyme with exasperate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exasperate Spanish Central: Translation of exasperate Nglish: Translation of exasperate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exasperate for Arabic speakers
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