exasperated
adjective
Joseph ConradBen BrantleyJ. K. Rowling
Rand Richards Cooper
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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.”
Examples of exasperated in a Sentence
Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
The chemistry between Ferrell’s uptight, by-the-books forensic accountant and Wahlberg’s aggressive, hot-headed detective drives the film’s best moments, with the latter’s exasperated reactions to the former’s bizarre behavior making the movie consistently entertaining—and, of course, hilarious.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
That Jabeur defeat also saw Tauson frequently becoming exasperated and gesturing angrily towards her coach.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
For the students, the evacuations at first carry an air of palpable panic, even a perverse frisson of adventure, though with frequent repetition, mortal danger gets blunted into exasperated boredom.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exasperated
Cite this Entry
“Exasperated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exasperated. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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