What does impatient mean?
Impatient describes someone who has difficulty tolerating delays, obstacles, or uncertainty and therefore wants action to happen quickly. The adjective commonly describes a person who becomes irritated while waiting, though it can also mean eager for an anticipated event: “impatient for the results.” Its connotation ranges from mildly impatient to noticeably irritable, depending on context. In everyday language, it often implies that waiting has become uncomfortable rather than merely inconvenient. The word is common in British and American English and can function as a temporary description (“the crowd grew impatient”) or a characterization of a person's usual temperament (“an impatient child”). It is related etymologically to patience and patient, but contrasts with those words by emphasizing urgency, restlessness, or reduced tolerance for delay.
adjectiveFeeling or showing annoyance or dissatisfaction because a delay or difficulty makes one eager to act or move on. It can also mean unable to wait patiently for something.
- Feeling or showing annoyance because a delay, obstruction, or difficulty is intolerable.
- Eager or anxious for something to happen, especially when the expected event is delayed.
"The queue was moving slowly, and even the patient shoppers began to look impatient."
"He grew impatient when the meeting continued without a decision."
"She was impatient for the results and checked her phone several times."
The word impatient contains a quiet contradiction: it is built from the idea of waiting, but refuses to wait.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does impatient come from?
The adjective comes from the Latin word impatiens, meaning “not able to endure” or “impatient,” formed from the prefix im- and the Latin participle patiens, “suffering” or “enduring.” English borrowed the form in the early 16th century, while related words such as patience and patient continued to reflect the same Latin root associated with enduring or tolerating something. The word's development therefore preserves an original idea of being unable to bear delay.
Related word forms
How impatient is actually used
Common in everyday standard English. It can describe an emotional state, visible behaviour, or a person's general temperament; in the second sense, it may carry a mildly critical judgement.
Easily confused with impatient
An impatient person has little tolerance for delay, whereas a patient person is willing to wait calmly and without irritation.