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impatient
/ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/
restless or eager for change
The children were impatient to open their presents on Christmas morning.
The children couldn't wait to open their presents because they were too excited.
neutral
having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked by delay, opposition, or criticism.
She grew impatient waiting in the long queue at the bank.
She became frustrated and annoyed because the wait was too long.
Often used to describe someone who dislikes delays or has a low tolerance for waiting.
neutral
eagerly wanting or anticipating something to happen.
He was impatient for the results of his job interview.
He couldn't wait to hear whether he got the job.
Commonly used in contexts involving anticipation of a positive outcome.
Collocations
impatient withannoyed or frustrated with someone or somethingimpatient foreagerly waiting for something to happenimpatient to do somethingeager to take action
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'impatient' vs. 'eager'
'Impatient' can imply frustration or irritation, while 'eager' is purely positive. For example, 'She was impatient to leave' suggests annoyance, whereas 'She was eager to leave' suggests excitement.
Gold Rule
Use 'impatient' with prepositions
Common collocations include 'impatient with' (for people), 'impatient for' (for events), and 'impatient to' (for actions).
Word Origin
From Latin 'impatiens' (not suffering), from 'in-' (not) + 'patior' (to suffer). First recorded in English in the late 14th century.
Usage Notes
Use 'impatient' to describe someone who is easily annoyed by delays or has a strong desire for something to happen soon. It can be used positively (eager) or negatively (irritable), so context is important.
Word Breakdown
im-
not
prefixpatient
willing to wait without complaining
rootEnglish Dictionary