exasperated
She was exasperated by her son's constant refusal to clean his room.
She felt extremely frustrated because her son kept refusing to clean his room despite her repeated requests.
intensely irritated or frustrated, often due to a perceived lack of progress or cooperation
The teacher was exasperated by the students' repeated mistakes on the same math problem.
The teacher felt extremely frustrated because the students kept making the same mistakes despite clear instructions.
He gave an exasperated sigh when his computer froze for the third time in an hour.
He sighed deeply, showing his intense irritation at the computer's repeated freezing.
Often implies a sense of helplessness or exhaustion from dealing with a persistent issue.
Collocations
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Distinguish from 'angry'
'Exasperated' implies frustration from dealing with a situation that won't improve, while 'angry' suggests a more intense emotional reaction to an event or person.
Gold Rule
Use with context
Always pair 'exasperated' with a clear reason (e.g., 'exasperated by delays') to avoid ambiguity.
Word Origin
From Latin *exasperatus*, past participle of *exasperare* 'to irritate, provoke,' from *ex-* 'thoroughly' + *asper* 'rough, harsh.'
Usage Notes
Commonly used to describe reactions to repeated annoyances or failures, often with a sense of resignation rather than active anger.