exasperate
ex·as·per·ate/ɪɡˈzæsp(ə)ɹeɪt/verb
exasperate is spelled E-X-A-S-P-E-R-A-T-E: 10 letters and 4 syllables (ex·as·per·ate). It appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 106,501st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, exasperate means “To tax the patience of; irk, frustrate, vex, provoke, annoy; to make angry” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in exasperate?
| Letters | 10: E-X-A-S-P-E-R-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: ex·as·per·ate |
| In writing | about once in every 13 million words; the 106,501st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is exasperate?
Exasperate appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 106,501st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce exasperate?
- US /ɪɡˈzæsp(ə)ɹeɪt/
- UK /ɪɡˈzɑːspəɹeɪt/
Exasperate has 4 syllables, split ex·as·per·ate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-exasperate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of exasperate
- exasperates present, singular, he/she/it
- exasperating participle, present
- exasperated participle, past
- more exasperate comparative
- most exasperate superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does exasperate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To tax the patience of; irk, frustrate, vex, provoke, annoy; to make angry.
- 2
UKobsoleteslangTo overaspirate the letter h, or to aspirate it whenever it begins a word, once a common form of hypercorrection.
quoted (from Punch magazine) in 2005, David Crystal, The Stories of English COCKNEY HOBSERVATION. – Cockneys are not the only people who drop or exasperate the 'h's.' It is done by common people in the provinces, and you may laugh at them f
adjective
- 1
obsoleteExasperated.
- 2
obsoleteExasperated; embittered.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Exasperate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense frustrate, vex, annoy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | exaspérer |
| German | verärgern, aufbringen, auf die Palme bringen |
| Portuguese | exasperar |
| Spanish | exasperar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does exasperate come from?
First attested in 1534; borrowed from Latin exasperātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin exasperō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ex (“out of; thoroughly”) + asperō (“to make rough”), from asper (“rough”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).