exasperate
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To overaspirate the letter h, or to aspirate it whenever it begins a word, once a common form of hypercorrection.
Register: humorous, slang
Examples
quoted (from Punch magazine) in 2005, David Crystal, The Stories of English
COCKNEY HOBSERVATION. — Cockneys are not the only people who drop or exasperate the 'h's.' It is done by common people in the provinces, and you may laugh at them for it.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “exasperate” mean?
To overaspirate the letter h, or to aspirate it whenever it begins a word, once a common form of hypercorrection.
Is “exasperate” formal or informal?
exasperate is generally humorous, slang.