To exasperate someone means to frustrate them so completely that they feel worn down and at the end of their patience. When you exasperate your teacher by asking the same question five times without listening to the answer, you're pushing them past ordinary annoyance into that special kind of tired frustration where they might sigh deeply and close their eyes for a moment.

The feeling of being exasperated combines irritation with exhaustion. A parent might feel exasperated after reminding their child to clean their room every single day for a week. A coach might grow exasperated watching players make the same mistake repeatedly during practice, despite clear instructions.

Notice that exasperation usually builds over time or through repetition. One spilled glass of milk causes frustration, but the third spilled glass in the same morning? That's exasperating. The word suggests that someone's patience has been tested and tested until it finally runs out. When someone is exasperated, you can often hear it in their voice: that mix of tiredness and disbelief that says, “I cannot believe this is happening again.”