exasperation

noun

ex·​as·​per·​a·​tion ig-ˌza-spə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exasperation (audio)
Synonyms of exasperation
1
: the state of being exasperated
2
: the act or an instance of exasperating someone

Synonyms of exasperation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of exasperation in a Sentence

They had all experienced the exasperation and frustration of holiday shopping. add people who use cell phones inconsiderately to the list of daily exasperations
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
That in turn has prompted exasperation from some officials and Pacific-watchers at the prospect of another summit overshadowed by rivalry between non-member countries. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 Zilisch’s exasperation reached a boiling point last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 Dorgu ran into players, and Fernandes, throwing his arms around in exasperation at Tielemans’ failure to control the ball, looked a picture of frustration. — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Vain to the point of exasperation, computer genius and hacker Roddy did not have to make an error to be thrown out of MI5 headquarters. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exasperation

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exasperation was in 1547

Rhymes for exasperation

See All Rhymes for exasperation

Browse Nearby Words

exasperating
exasperation
exauctorate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exasperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exasperation. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

exasperation

noun
ex·​as·​per·​a·​tion ig-ˌzas-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exasperation (audio)
1
: extreme annoyance : anger
2
: a source of annoyance
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All