impatient
UK[ɪmˈpeɪʃnt]US[ɪmˈpeɪʃnt]
adj
Having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
adj
Restlessly eager; unable to wait for something.
Morpheme Breakdown
im
patient
im
not
patient
enduring
Etymology
The word 'impatient' is built upon the Latin root 'pati', which means "to suffer" or "to endure". This root gave rise to the adjective 'patient', describing one who bears hardship without complaint. By adding the Latin negative prefix 'im-' (a variant of 'in-' used before 'p'), the meaning is directly reversed to "not enduring". The semantic journey is straightforward: from the literal sense of "not suffering or enduring (delay, provocation, etc.) willingly," it evolved into its modern abstract meanings of irritability and restless eagerness.
Analysis
Structure: im (not) + patient (enduring)
- im: A prefix of Latin origin, a form of 'in-' meaning "not" or "without".
- patient: From Latin 'pati' meaning "to suffer, endure". In this word, it functions as the root meaning "enduring" or "able to bear".
Examples
The impatient driver honked his horn repeatedly at the slow-moving traffic.
She was impatient to hear the results of her exam.
His impatient criticism often made the team feel discouraged.