Table of Contents
The word for today is…
exasperate (verb,adjective) -
verb
1a: to cause strong irritation or annoyance to
b: to excite the anger of : enrage
2obsolete : to make more grievous : aggravate
adjective
1: irritated or annoyed especially to the point of injudicious action : exasperated
2: roughened with irregular prickles or elevations
Source : Merriam-Webster
Etymology : Exasperate is frequently confused with exacerbate, and with good reason. Not only do these words resemble one another in spelling and pronunciation, they also at one time held exceedingly similar meanings. Exasperate is today most commonly used as a synonym of annoy, but for several hundred years it also had the meanings "to make more grievous" and "to make harsh or harsher." Exacerbate is now the more common choice when one seeks to indicate that something is becoming increasingly bitter, violent, or unpleasant. It comes in part from the Latin word acer, meaning "sharp," whereas exasperate is from asper, the Latin word for "rough." The latter is also the source of the English asperity, which can refer to the roughness of a surface or the roughness of someone's temper.
If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.