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exasperatingly

exasperatingly

1 7.5
In a way that makes someone feel annoyed and impatient
  • adverb
  • /ɪɡˈzæspəˌreɪtɪŋli/
translation icon : exasperantemente
  • I never met a "union craftsman" who wasn't far more interested in his breaks, his benefits, his vacation, or his retirement than the quality of the work he did. When he was held to any kind of standard for quality, he bitched and whined and tried to evade the work and the responsibility until the very last moment, and then grudgingly, finally, exasperatingly did his job.

Examples

  • He found it exasperatingly difficult to deal with the constant interruptions during the meeting.

  • This was not necessarily to say that the girls were engaging in forbidden deeds, although such deeds could never be ruled out, but merely to suggest that what they did do remained exasperatingly unknown.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Why must you remain so exasperatingly contrary?

  • Well, if you'll pardon me for saying so, you seem so exasperatingly certain of everything.

  • It is exasperatingly beautiful.

  • He was always respectful but exasperatingly lazy, hopelessly disorganized, and a little overweight, hard to get moving.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • And it would be annoyingly, exasperatingly lame because it not only produces a stupid movie in and of itself, it retroactively ruins the first two films by taking much of what was cool about them and erasing it.

    Blog text (10)
  • The vast majority of our daily headaches tend to be problems that exist primarily in a relatively affluent and safe Western culture: problems with the cable company, a car that is recalled, an exasperatingly crowded parking lot at the mall during the holidays, hassles with an insurance company, and poor service at a restaurant.

    Blog text (10)
  • She exasperatingly repeated her explanation until everyone understood.

  • The child's exasperatingly endless questions tested her patience.

Synonyms

annoyingly
vsexasperatingly
14 3.0

In a way that makes people feel bothered

is similar but implies stronger, ongoing exasperation
frustratingly
vsexasperatingly
7 4.4

In a way that makes you feel annoyed because things are slow or difficult

centres on pure irritation rather than added difficulty or blockage
obnoxiously
vsexasperatingly
6 6.4

In a way that annoys and upsets other people

is about causing irritation rather than being chiefly offensive
irritatingly
vsexasperatingly
2 4.2

In a way that annoys or makes someone uncomfortable

is more intense and suggests stronger irritation or impatience
infuriatingly
vsexasperatingly
2 7.4

In a way that makes someone very angry or frustrated

means irritation without necessarily reaching strong anger
aggravatingly
vsexasperatingly
1 7.9

In a way that makes people feel annoyed

focuses more on causing strong exasperation rather than mere worsening
gratingly
vsexasperatingly
1 7.8

In a harsh, irritating way that annoys people

focuses on angering or annoying people rather than sensory harshness
irksomely
vsexasperatingly
  • Archaic
8.5

In an annoying way that bothers other people

is broader and often implies a higher level of annoyance
vexatiously
vsexasperatingly
9.3

In a way that annoys or worries other people, often on purpose

emphasizes overall exasperation rather than purposeful persistence
cursedly
vsexasperatingly
  • Archaic
9.5

In a very annoying and unpleasant way

is strongly irritating but not necessarily as extreme or damnable
confoundedly
vsexasperatingly
  • Archaic
9.2

In a way that shows strong annoyance or surprise

is plain irritation without the added sense of puzzlement

Antonyms

110 1.0

In a calm, steady way without showing anger or nervousness

75 1.9

In a calm way without getting angry while waiting

How Annoying

exasperatingly
1 7.5
irritatingly
2 4.2
annoyingly
14 3.0

Surface Forms

exasperatingly positive
exasperatinglyer comparative
exasperatinglyest superlative

Morphology

exasperatingly = exasperating (transparent) = exasperate + ing + ly

The adverb is a regular suffixation of the adjectival present-participle 'exasperating' with '-ly', and that adjective is transparently derived from the verb 'exasperate'.

Etymology

Exasperatingly comes from the Latin exasperare, which means 'to make rough', and from asper meaning 'rough'. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine a rough stone rubbing away your patience — something done exasperatingly makes people very annoyed.