exasperate

Held in a stifling courtroom during the peak of summer, the proceedings involved day after day of contentious confrontation as the couple sought to exasperate Li Mien, the presiding judge, at every opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Panjabi portrays Reena’s mother, Suman, a reserved but resolute woman and member of the Jehovah’s Witness faith who runs a home with rules that exasperate her eldest child.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

Penn State has four 11-win seasons since 2016 under Franklin, but here are the numbers that exasperate Nittany Lions fans: 1-9 against Ohio State; 3-16 vs. top-10 teams; 1-13 vs.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2023

The past-and-present double investigations that ensue — and, of course, eventually come together — are not airtight; the characters, especially Sarah, are prone to the kind of head-scratching decisions that exasperate the true mystery fan.

From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2023

He kicked, pounded, twisted, pushed, using his lack of size to confound and exasperate Elisha, whose damp fists, joined at the small of John’s back, soon slipped.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

What further exasperates the residents of the complex is that there is a GP surgery less than 100m from their building.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2024

Some draw comparisons with China’s relationship with North Korea, whose leadership exasperates Beijing at times with erratic behavior but nonetheless benefits from Chinese economic aid and diplomatic support.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2023

Emotions run high in Venice, the Italian island city that fascinates visitors even as it exasperates the dwindling band of local inhabitants.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 22, 2017

It is the essence of his leadership style, the defiance that exasperates his foes and makes his supporters love him all the more.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2016

She exasperates him, as she does everyone who roots for her success, but he loves her mind and courage.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

She said residents have been exasperated by the evacuation orders and road closures, especially that of Highway 395, “but with the explosive growth and extreme fire behavior, we need people to be safe.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Citing unnamed US officials, NBC News reported earlier this week that Trump erupted in anger during a recent White House meeting and was "exasperated" by his limited available options to end the war.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

It’s funny, my mother used to look at me with an expression that was neither mocking nor exasperated, merely seasoned, and say, “Baby, not everything needs to be a production.”

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

At one point, an exasperated Wataka pulled out his phone to prove that the composers had been dead for generations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

I blew air out through my lips like an exasperated horse.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Dealing with a call center or an automated teller might have been exasperating.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

It takes only a moment or two for him to establish each figure’s unique traits, from the amiable to the exasperating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

All of this makes for an exasperating experience, but what’s most aggravating is that we’ve stood for this for so long.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2026

That relentlessness made Hersh both essential and exasperating to the institutions that published him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025

And then she spoke the most powerful and exhausting, the bravest, most exasperating and galvanic sentence in the human language.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell