esasperate

Esasperate is a nonstandard or uncommon variant of the English verb exasperate. In standard modern English, the preferred form is exasperate, meaning to irritate intensely, provoke strong feelings of annoyance, or worsen a difficult situation by repeated actions. The spelling esasperate is not widely recognized in major dictionaries and is generally treated as a misspelling or a nonstandard form.

Etymology and cognates: Exasperate derives from Latin exasperare, meaning to roughen or irritate. The Italian cognate esasperare has a similar meaning, to aggravate or exasperate, and esasperazione corresponds to exasperation. When esasperate appears in English, it is often in contexts involving Italian-language text or bilingual writing, rather than as an accepted English spelling.

Usage and reception: In English-language writing intended for a broad audience, esasperate is typically considered incorrect. Writers should use exasperate to avoid confusion. If esasperate appears, it is usually perceived as a typographical error, a dialectal or deliberately foreign-language choice, or a misspelling.

Examples: In correct English, one might say, The delays exasperated the passengers. A sentence using esasperate would be considered nonstandard in formal writing and is not recommended.

See also: exasperate; exasperation; irritate; aggravate.

In sum, esasperate is not an established English term and is best avoided in formal usage, with exasperate serving as the correct form. In Italian contexts, esasperare is the appropriate verb with a closely related meaning.