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impatience

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English impacience, from Old French impacience (modern French impatience), from Latin impatientia. By surface analysis, im- + patience.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: im‧pa‧tience

Noun

impatience (countable and uncountable, plural impatiences)

  1. The quality of being impatient; lacking patience; restlessness and intolerance of delays; anxiety and eagerness, especially to begin something.
    Synonym: haste
    Antonym: patience

Translations

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French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French impacience, from Latin impatientia. Morphologically analyzable as impatient + -ence.

Pronunciation

Noun

impatience f (plural impatiences)

  1. impatience (the quality of being impatient; lacking patience; restlessness and intolerance of delays; anxiety and eagerness, especially to begin something)
    Antonym: patience

Further reading

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Middle French

Alternative forms

  • impacience

Etymology

Inherited from Old French impacience, from Latin impatientia. By surface analysis, im- + patience.

Noun

impatience f (uncountable)

  1. impatience (the quality of being impatient; lacking patience; restlessness and intolerance of delays; anxiety and eagerness, especially to begin something)
    Antonym: patience

Scots

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English impacience, from Old French impacience (modern French impatience), from Latin impatientia. By surface analysis, im- + patience.

Noun

impatience (uncountable)

  1. impatience (the quality of being impatient; lacking patience; restlessness and intolerance of delays; anxiety and eagerness, especially to begin something)
    Antonym: patience
    • 1919, Sir Harry Lauder, Between You and Me, New York: The James A. McCann Company, page 134:
      Then ye’ll ken hoo I lookit, oot there on the Embankment, wi’ the lichts shinin’ doon on me and a’, and me dancin’ aroond in a fever o’ impatience to be off!
      Then you’ll know whom I saw, out there on the embankment, with the lights shining down on me and all, and me dancing around feverishly from my impatience to be off!

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