[syn: worsen, aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Exasperate \Ex*as"per*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Exsasperated;
p. pr. & vb. n. Exasperating.]
1. To irritate in a high degree; to provoke; to enrage; to
excite or to inflame the anger of; as, to exasperate a
person or his feelings.
[1913 Webster]
To exsasperate them against the king of France.
--Addison.
[1913 Webster]
2. To make grievous, or more grievous or malignant; to
aggravate; to imbitter; as, to exasperate enmity.
[1913 Webster]
To exasperate the ways of death. --Sir T.
Browne.
Syn: To irritate; provoke. See Irritate.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Exasperate \Ex*as"per*ate\, a. [L. exasperatus, p. p. of
exsasperare to roughen, exasperate; ex out (intens.) +
asperare to make rough, asper rough. See Asperity.]
Exasperated; imbittered. [Obs.] --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Like swallows which the exasperate dying year
Sets spinning. --Mrs.
Browning.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
exasperate
v 1: exasperate or irritate [syn: exacerbate, exasperate,
aggravate]
2: make furious [syn: infuriate, exasperate, incense]
3: make worse; "This drug aggravates the pain" [syn: worsen,
aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate] [ant: ameliorate,
amend, better, improve, meliorate]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
72 Moby Thesaurus words for "exasperate":
TB, aggravate, agitate, annoy, arouse, badger, bait, be at,
bedevil, beset, bother, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up,
chafe, chivy, consumption, devil, discompose, distemper, disturb,
dog, embitter, exercise, fash, fret, gall, get, gripe, harass,
harry, heckle, hector, hound, huff, incense, inflame, irk,
irritate, miff, molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peeve,
persecute, pester, pick on, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother,
provoke, rankle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, set up, stir the blood,
stir up, tease, torment, trouble, try the patience, tweak the nose,
vex, work up, worry