impatience

noun

im·​pa·​tience (ˌ)im-ˈpā-shən(t)s How to pronounce impatience (audio)
Synonyms of impatiencenext
: the quality or state of being impatient

Examples of impatience in a Sentence

the child's impatience for Christmas morning is engaging
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Iranians are banking on American impatience stoked by partisan zealousness. Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026 Every two years, elite athletes compete in the Olympics, biennial plants — like carrots and onions — produce seeds and people across America look on with consternation and mounting impatience as California counts its election ballots. Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 The characters are precisely strange, interestingly fumbling, and share with Days and Nights’s protagonists an anxious impatience and confusion. James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 This is ultimately a war between a democracy’s impatience and a theocracy’s ruthless endurance. Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impatience

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impatience was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impatience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impatience. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

impatience

noun
im·​pa·​tience (ˈ)im-ˈpā-shən(t)s How to pronounce impatience (audio)
1
: lack of patience
2
: restless or eager desire

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