Basic Details
Word: Impatience
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The feeling of being annoyed or restless because you have to wait, or a strong wish for something to happen soon.
Synonyms: restlessness, eagerness, irritability
Antonyms: patience, calmness
Sounds like: impatiens (a garden plant, also called busy lizzie, with bright flowers)
How to Spell Impatience
Syllables: im - pa - tience
Tricky part: The 'sh' sound in the middle is written ti, and the ending is -ence, not -ance.
Watch out for: impatiance, impasience, impatiense
Memory tip: Patience has a tie inside it: pa-TIE-nce. Keep the tie, put im- in front, and you have impatience.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Ravi's impatience showed as he kept checking the oven every two minutes.
Example 2: The crowd's impatience turned to cheers when the band finally walked on stage.
Example 3: With growing impatience, Mummy waited for the plumber who had promised to come at ten.
Fun Fact
A patient in hospital and the patience you need in a queue share a root: the Latin pati, to suffer or endure.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
im_ati_nce
a) p, a
b) p, i
c) p, e
d) b, e
Show answer
c) p, e. Patience is spelt with p and ends in -ence, so the gaps take p and e.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word impatience as used in the sentence:
The bus driver's impatience grew as the wedding procession blocked the road for twenty minutes.
a) hurry
b) irritation
c) calmness
d) eagerness
Show answer
c) calmness. A driver who stays calm is the opposite of an impatient one; irritation is part of impatience.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. impatience 2. tolerence 3. obediance 4. persistance
a) annoyance at having to wait
b) willingness to accept views different from your own
c) continuing to try in spite of difficulty
d) doing what you are told
Show answer
a) annoyance at having to wait. Tolerance takes -ance, while persistence and obedience take -ence, so only impatience is right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A sure sign of impatience at a traffic signal is ____.
a) letting an old man go first
b) honking again and again at a red light
c) reading a book on a slow train
d) waiting quietly in a long queue
Show answer
b) honking again and again at a red light
2. 'She could not hide her impatience' means she ____.
a) clearly wanted things to move faster
b) was too shy to speak
c) was hiding a gift from someone
d) felt sad about losing a game
Show answer
a) clearly wanted things to move faster
