exasperate - to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely: He was exasperated by the senseless delays.

exasperate

[verb ig-zas-puh-reyt; adjective ig-zas-per-it] 

 

•  

verb (used with object), exasperated,exasperating.

1.

to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoyextremely:

He was exasperated by the senseless delays.

2.

Archaic. to increase the intensity or violence of(disease, pain, feelings, etc.).

adjective

3.

Botany. rough; covered with hard, projectingpoints, as a leaf.

Related forms

exasperatedly, adverb

exasperater, noun

exasperatingly, adverb

unexasperated, adjective

unexasperating, adjective

Can be confused

exacerbate, exasperate.

Synonyms

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

1. incense, anger, vex, inflame, infuriate. See irritate. 2.exacerbate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.
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Examples from the Web for exasperate

Historical Examples

• That is one of the things which exasperate me the most—that term 'shameful disease' which you have just used.
  Damaged Goods Upton Sinclair 
• It would not subdue the savages; it would only exasperate them.