impatient

adjective

im·​pa·​tient (ˌ)im-ˈpā-shənt 

1

a

: not patient : restless or short of temper especially under irritation, delay, or opposition

b

: intolerant sense 1

impatient of delay

2

: prompted or marked by impatience

an impatient reply

3

: eagerly desirous : anxious

impatient to get home

impatiently adverb

Synonyms

• agog
• antsy
• anxious
• ardent
• athirst
• avid
• crazy
• desirous
• eager
• enthused
• enthusiastic
• excited
• geeked [slang]
• great
• greedy
• gung ho
• hepped up
• hopped-up
• hot
• hungry
• juiced
• keen
• nuts
• pumped
• raring
• solicitous
• stoked [slang]
• thirsty
• voracious
• wild

Examples of impatient in a Sentence

After months of delays, customers are becoming impatient.

Customers have grown impatient with the repeated delays.

“Aren't you ready yet?” “Don't be so impatient. There's no need to hurry.”

She was impatient to leave.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because yes — this is the ultimate hack for surviving long road trips with impatient kids. —Kayla Kitts, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024

Fan base growing impatient with front office March 21, 2023 Will Kuntz, who would become the architect of the team’s turnaround, was hired three months later, Klein was sacked a month after that and after rebuilding the front office, the Galaxy quickly rebuilt their roster. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024

America tends to swallow other cultures whole, endowing them with a good dose of homogenization – a Syrian refugee teen is just as likely as an American teen to be bent over his smartphone, impatient with his parents, and oblivious to the world at large. —Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2024

For instance, the paw-print tracks of impatient pups run across a paved bit of the Gaineses’ driveway. —Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English impacient, from Anglo-French impacient, from Latin impatient-, impatiens, from in- + patient-, patiens patient

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

impatient

adjective

im·​pa·​tient (ˈ)im-ˈpā-shənt 

1

: not patient

an impatient disposition

2

: showing or coming from impatience

an impatient answer

3

: restless and eager

impatient to get going

impatiently adverb