Adjacent Words

Impatient definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

IMPA'TIENT, a. [L. impatiens.] Uneasy or fretful under suffering; not bearing pain with composure; not enduring evil without fretfulness,uneasiness, and a desire or effort to get rid of the evil. Young men are impatient of restraint. We are all apt to be impatient under wrongs; but it is a christian duty not to be impatient in sickness, or under any afflictive dispensation of Providence.
1. Not suffering quietly; not enduring.
Fame, impatient of extremes, decays
Not more by envy than excess of praise.
2. Hasty; eager; not enduring delay. The impatient man will not wait for information; he often acts with precipitance. Be not impatient for the return of spring.
3. Not to be borne; as impatient smart.
This word is followed by of, at, for, or under. We are impatient of restraint, or of wrongs; impatient at the delay of expected good; impatient for the return of a friend, or for the arrival of the mail; impatient under evils of any kind. The proper use of these particles can be learnt only by practice or observation.
IMPA'TIENT, n. One who is restless under suffering.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition; "impatient with the slower students"; "impatient of criticism" [ant: patient]
2: (usually followed by `to') full of eagerness; "impatient to begin"; "raring to go" [syn: impatient, raring]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English impacient, from Anglo-French impacient, from Latin impatient-, impatiens, from in- + patient-, patiens patient Date: 14th century 1. a. not patient ; restless or short of temper especially under irritation, delay, or opposition b. intolerant 1 <impatient of delay> 2. prompted or marked by impatience <an impatient reply> 3. eagerly desirous ; anxious <impatient to get home> • impatiently adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 a (often foll. by at, with) lacking patience or tolerance. b (of an action) showing a lack of patience. 2 (often foll. by for, or to + infin.) restlessly eager. 3 (foll. by of) intolerant. Derivatives: impatience n. impatiently adv. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L impatiens (as IN-(1), PATIENT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impatient Im*pa"tient, a. [OE. impacient, F. impatient, fr. L. impatiens; pref. im- not + patiens patient. See Patient.] 1. Not patient; not bearing with composure; intolerant; uneasy; fretful; restless, because of pain, delay, or opposition; eager for change, or for something expected; hasty; passionate; -- often followed by at, for, of, and under. A violent, sudden, and impatient necessity. --Jer. Taylor. Fame, impatient of extremes, decays Not more by envy than excess of praise. --Pope. The impatient man will not give himself time to be informed of the matter that lies before him. --Addison. Dryden was poor and impatient of poverty. --Macaulay. 2. Not to be borne; unendurable. [Obs.] --Spenser. 3. Prompted by, or exhibiting, impatience; as, impatient speeches or replies. --Shak. Syn: Restless; uneasy; changeable; hot; eager; fretful; intolerant; passionate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impatient Im*pa"tient, n. One who is impatient. [R.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you are impatient, you are annoyed because you have to wait too long for something. The big clubs are becoming increasingly impatient at the rate of progress. ADJ: v-link ADJ • impatiently People have been waiting impatiently for a chance to improve the situation. ADV: ADV with v • impatience There is considerable impatience with the slow pace of political change... N-UNCOUNT 2. If you are impatient, you are easily irritated by things. Beware of being too impatient with others... ADJ • impatiently 'Come on, David,' Harry said impatiently. ADV: ADV with v • impatience There was a hint of impatience in his tone. N-UNCOUNT 3. If you are impatient to do something or impatient for something to happen, you are eager to do it or for it to happen and do not want to wait. He was impatient to get home... ADJ: v-link ADJ, ADJ to-inf, ADJ for n • impatience She showed impatience to continue the climb. N-UNCOUNT: N to-inf, N for n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Unquiet, uneasy, restless. 2. Hasty, precipitate, vehement, impetuous, eager. 3. Without forbearance, irritable, hot, violent, vehement, testy, fretful.

Moby Thesaurus

abrupt, agitated, agog, alacritous, all agog, animated, antsy, antsy-pantsy, anxious, athirst, avid, breathless, brusque, bursting to, chafing, curt, demanding, desirous, eager, edgy, excited, fidgety, forward, fretful, fretting, full of life, hasty, headlong, hopped-up, hot-tempered, impetuous, impulsive, in a lather, in a stew, in a sweat, indignant, irascible, irritable, itchy, keen, lively, nervous, on edge, overhasty, panting, precipitate, prompt, querulous, quick, raring to, rash, ready, ready and willing, reckless, restive, restless, short, short-tempered, snappish, spirited, squirming, squirmy, sudden, testy, thirsty, uneasy, unpatient, unquiet, vital, vivacious, vivid, waspish, zestful