Exasperating

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Creating significant annoyance or frustration through relentless trouble or complications
2. Generating feelings of irritation and dissatisfaction by consistently posing challenges or obstacles
3. Causing considerable frustration or irritation through persistent difficulties or unwelcome disturbances

Etymology: "Exasperating" is the adjective form of a verb that first appeared in English in 1534, borrowed from the Latin "exasperatus," the past participle of "exasperare." That Latin verb combines "ex," meaning "out of" or "thoroughly," with "asper," meaning "rough." So at its root, to exasperate something is to make it thoroughly rough, roughening a smooth surface until it grates. The sense of irritation came later, as the figurative extension of that roughening. A person pushed to the edge of patience feels rubbed raw, and the physical image of a rasping surface carried over into the emotional one. The word's own history also contains a pun: the verb has been playfully tangled with "aspirate," the term for a breathing sound, since the two words look and sound alike to the ear.

Synonyms: irritating, frustrating

Antonyms: pleasing, satisfying