exasperate
To annoy someone so much that they almost lose patience.
exasperate in a sentence
- Losing his shoes for the third morning running, Theo managed to exasperate even his patient mum.
- Nothing could exasperate the coach more than players forgetting their boots on match day.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to exasperate?
- Asoothe
- Bdelight
- Cannoy
- Dplease
Show the answer
C: annoy. The other three mean the opposite of exasperate.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to exasperate?
- Afrustrate
- Bannoy
- Cirritate
- Dplease
Show the answer
D: please. The other three mean nearly the same as exasperate.
Words that mean something similar
annoy, irritate, frustrate
Words that mean the opposite
please, soothe, delight
More words about emotions & feelings
- exhausted: So tired that you have no energy left.
- exhilarated: Feeling thrilled, happy and full of energy.
- exuberant: Bursting with energy, excitement and happiness.
- exult: To show great joy, especially after winning something.
- famished: Very hungry after going without food for a long time.
- fatigue: A feeling of great tiredness.
- fervent: Showing very strong and sincere feelings.
- flabbergasted: So surprised that you do not know what to say.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test