Literary notes about Exasperating (AI summary)
In literature, "exasperating" functions as a nuanced descriptor of frustration and vexation. Authors employ the term to transform moments of celebration into instances of irritation—as when a jubilant inauguration turns sour ([1])—or to encapsulate the relentless challenges characters face, such as the struggles encountered by travelers ([2]) or the nagging, elusive difficulties present in everyday life ([3]). It also characterizes personalities and political dynamics, conveying both personal disdain and broader societal criticism, as in the portrayal of obstinate authority ([4]) or in depicting intricate social interactions that breed a persistent sense of annoyance ([5], [6]). This usage effectively deepens our understanding of conflict and discontent, rendering the emotional landscape of the narrative all the more vivid.
- Its disclosure on July 2, the day after Jay's inauguration, turned the applause of that joyous occasion into the most exasperating abuse.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - For Ken Ward to see little and big fish capering around under his very nose and not be able to hook one was exasperating.
— from Ken Ward in the Jungle by Zane Grey - But it was not the blouses: it was that exasperating thing ‘between the lines’ that put an end to my work with its elusive teasing nuisance.
— from Incredible Adventures by Algernon Blackwood - His aunt did not inform his grandfather of this refusal for fear of exasperating him.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - Don't you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its black thoughts, its sombre and brooding ferocity?
— from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - What, however, made the order exasperating alike to rulers and peoples were the powerful political intrigues in which members of the order engaged.
— from A History of the Philippines by David P. Barrows
