exasperating

adjective

ex·​as·​per·​at·​ing ig-ˈza-spə-ˌrā-tiŋ 

: causing strong feelings of irritation or annoyance

an exasperating delay

After the most frustrating, aggravating and exasperating two days of his career …

—Jack Curry

The following days brought light fluky winds and I made only 35 miles of progress in two days. It was very exasperating.

—Tom Peterson

exasperatingly adverb

an exasperatingly slow process

The heater warmed up slowly; its temperature was exasperatingly difficult to adjust.

—Consumer Reports

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• frustrating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pesky
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of exasperating in a Sentence

those exasperating details that come with almost any job

Recent Examples on the Web

He was quickly flown back to Moscow, a trial date was no less quickly set — and then the turgid legal process of one exasperating delay after another took command of events. —Howard Blum, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

The focus is on the political scene, but… Don Pepe: A Political Biography of José Figueres of Costa Rica A lively biography, giving a balanced view of a fascinating, controversial and exasperating leader who has made immense national and regional contributions. —Raymond Leslie Buell, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024

Despite its non-native status and exasperating tendency to blanket cars and sidewalks with slippery, aphid-attracting flowers, jacaranda trees have their fans, especially right now when streets, freeways and medians are saturated with bluish-purple flowers. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024

For the owners, the predicament can be exasperating and stressful. —Tom Krisher, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above