impatience

noun

(ˌ)im-ˈpā-shən(t)s How to pronounce impatience (audio)
Definition of impatiencenext
as in enthusiasm
urgent desire or interest the child's impatience for Christmas morning is engaging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impatience Decisions made out of fatigue or impatience tend to come back at the worst possible time. — Janet M Harvey, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 As the day progresses, Mercury retrograde will meet with Mars in a semi-square, increasing nervous tension and impatience in communication. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Black Americans and birthright citizenship Jackson’s opinion registers her impatience with such an exclusion. — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 9 July 2026 The market’s impatience underscores a deeper challenge inside Nissan. — Andrew Staples, Fortune, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impatience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impatience
  1. enthusiasm
  2. thirst
  3. excitement
  4. hunger
  5. appetite
Noun
  • Do not let enthusiasm skip the part where others need a clear role today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Or are younger, progressive voters who might be open to democratic socialism being over-sampled due to their very public enthusiasm?
    — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • Pritzker can do nothing about much of the electorate’s seemingly insatiable thirst for silliness.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That can be useful for eating disorders because people often disconnect from feelings such as hunger, thirst, fatigue and cold.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of thirst
Noun
  • Despite her excitement, Reynolds admits joining such a beloved series came with plenty of pressure.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • DaCosta said that Moore greeted students with excitement every day as parents dropped them off.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of excitement
Noun
  • There is a hunger for AI, but a growing distaste for data centers.
    — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
  • That’s more than 20 million meals provided to children experiencing hunger across Central Florida.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of hunger
Noun
  • Because a news organization that comes in to take advantage of this [appetite] has also done their research and anticipated questions and is preparing for pushback.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
  • As Chinese people’s incomes have grown, so has their appetite for meat, dairy, and other goods.
    — Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of appetite

Browse Nearby Words

impassivity
impatience
impatient
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impatience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impatience. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on impatience

Nglish: Translation of impatience for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All