to exasperate

Examples

• All

• His constant complaints only exasperate the situation instead of helping.

• She was finding work exasperating.

  Fiction book (1991)

• He was beginning to exasperate me.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Illegality exasperates these problems to a great degree.

  Blog text (32)

• The stealing of reservation lands exasperated a land.

  Academic text (2000)

• Slow to acknowledge the directions of the Abbe, slow to take Claude to the more interesting parts of the property, slow, in fact, in all aspects of his being, Henri did only one thing quickly: exasperate those around him.

  Fiction book (1992)

• Life is a messy business; family can be the lifeline that keeps us from drowning or exasperating to the point of wanting to shove them out of a fifth-story window.

  Blog text (5)

• Meanwhile, by the end of 1942, Roosevelt tried to deal directly with the duplicitous and ambitious Vichy figure Admiral Darlan, instead of de Gaulle, who went into a "violent rage"; thus further exasperating Maritain.

  Academic text (1991)

• The delays in the project will exasperate the team's frustration.

• Ignoring the issue will only exasperate their concerns further.

Synonyms

F

to frustrate

vsto exasperate

137 3.0

Make someone feel annoyed because they cannot do something

focuses on making the problem or situation worse rather than just causing annoyance

A

to aggravate

vsto exasperate

73 4.6

Make a problem or health condition worse

is the rarer term used for the same worsening

E

to exacerbate

vsto exasperate

69 8.0

To make a problem or feeling worse

is the rarer term with the same meaning

W

to worsen

vsto exasperate

61 3.9

To make a situation or condition less good

is the rarer term focusing on worsening rather than neutral change

I

to infuriate

vsto exasperate

46 5.0

Make someone very angry

is about worsening a problem not merely creating extreme anger

M

to make matters worse

vsto exasperate

37 4.0

To cause a situation to become more difficult or unpleasant

is the rare phrasing that names the same effect

I

to inflame

vsto exasperate

31 5.8

To make people's feelings stronger, especially anger or hate

is about worsening the overall situation rather than intensifying feelings

D

to displease

vsto exasperate

28 4.7

To make someone feel annoyed or unhappy

focuses on worsening the situation rather than simple annoyance

A

to add insult to injury

vsto exasperate

• Informal

12 4.5

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that hurts someone more

is the rarer expression but shares the same worsening plus upset element

E

to enflame

vsto exasperate

6.4

To make feelings like anger or excitement stronger

focuses on making the problem worse rather than increasing intensity of feelings

Antonyms

A

to alleviate

76 5.3

To make pain, suffering, or a problem less strong

A

to ameliorate

11 8.1

To make a bad situation better

How Bad

to escalate

220 5.5

to exacerbate

69 8.0

to exasperate

1 8.9

to aggravate

73 4.6

to worsen

61 3.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology