What does impatience mean?
Impatience is the state of being unable or unwilling to tolerate delay, uncertainty, or slow progress. A person experiencing it may be eager for an event, anxious about how long it will take, or irritated by obstacles and repeated postponements. The word can therefore have both positive and negative implications: it may describe hopeful eagerness, but it more often suggests frustration and a lack of tolerance for waiting. Impatience commonly appears in expressions such as “with impatience” and “show impatience,” and it frequently qualifies a person’s attitude toward another person, a process, or an event. Although the noun is used in both British and American English, the related adjective “impatient” and adverb “impatiently” are also widely understood and used. The word is useful when distinguishing simple eagerness for something from a stronger sense of agitation or annoyance caused by delay.
nounThe feeling of being unable or unwilling to wait patiently for something. It may also refer to irritation or frustration caused by delay or obstruction.
- The state of being eager for something to happen without delay.
- Irritation or frustration at a delay, difficulty, or lack of cooperation.
"She checked her watch with growing impatience as the train was delayed."
"The children began to show impatience as the long-awaited performance was delayed."
"His impatience with the slow system led him to abandon the registration process."
Usually used in the plural when referring to instances or expressions of this feeling.
"The teacher's small impatience with the late arrivals quickly faded."
Impatience is the friction of wanting something before the world is ready to give it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does impatience come from?
Impatience comes from the Latin adjective “impatientem,” meaning “not patient,” together with the noun-forming suffix “-ia,” which produced “impatientia.” The Latin form was borrowed into English during the 16th century, initially in the sense of lack of patience or intolerance. Its modern forms are cognate with “patient,” “patience,” and the French “impatience,” all of which derive from the same Latin root associated with suffering or enduring.
Related word forms
How impatience is actually used
The word is neutral in register but often conveys a negative emotional quality when it means irritation at delay. In the sense of eager anticipation, it can be less critical.