English Explanatory Dictionary

exasperate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To tax the patience of; irk, frustrate, vex, provoke, annoy; to make angry.
adj
  1. Exasperated.
  2. Exasperated; embittered.

Pronunciation

/ɪɡˈzæsp(ə)ɹeɪt/ /ɪɡˈzɑːspəɹeɪt/ en-us-exasperate.ogg

Word forms

exasperate exasperates exasperating exasperated more exasperate most exasperate

Etymology

First attested in 1534; borrowed from Latin exasperātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin exasperō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ex (“out of; thoroughly”) + asperō (“to make rough”), from asper (“rough”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Synonyms

aggravate rile annoy nettle rankle ruffle sting antagonize bother disgruntle botherate bug get grate burn up bedevil cheese off devil exasperate frustrate get up grotch hack off hassle irk irritate jazz molest mommick nark nerve pee off peeve persecute pique piss off provoke rile up roil storm test someone's patience tick off trouble try one's patience vex wind up Idioms: boil someone's piss chap someone's hide get on someone's nerves get on someone's tits get on someone's wick get someone's back up get someone's dander up get someone's goat get someone's Irish up get someone's nanny get someone's nanny-goat get under one's goat get under someone's skin

Related words

asperate asperity exacerbate

Derived words

exasperater exasperative
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