French Conversation · Level 65
60 words
French word
exaspérer
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛgzaspeʁe/
Meaning
- verbannoy
Example
Ça m'exaspère vraiment.
It really annoys me.
More examples
Son retard exaspère ses collègues.
His lateness exasperates his colleagues.
Core concept
Patience worn thin by a persistent irritation.
Common phrases
exaspérer quelqu'un
exasperate someone
s'exaspérer contre quelqu'un
get exasperated with someone
s'exaspérer de quelque chose
get exasperated by something
Similar words
énerver: To cause strong irritation and put someone in a bad mood.
agacer: To cause mild annoyance or a small feeling of irritation.
contrarier: To thwart someone's plans or expectations, causing frustration or disappointment.
Definition in French
Faire perdre patience à quelqu'un en provoquant de l'irritation ou de la colère par un comportement agaçant.
Word origin
French exaspérer comes from Latin exasperare, built from ex- and asper, meaning rough, with a figurative development from making rough to angering someone.
Usage tips
- Exaspérer takes a direct object, as in Ça m'exaspère, where m' means the person affected, not the subject causing the irritation.
Other meanings
- infuriateverb
- angerverb
Related words
- exaspérationexasperationnoun
- exaspéréexasperatedadjective
- exaspérantexasperatingadjective