Impatient, a.
Etymology: [OE. impacient, F. impatient, fr. L. impatiens; pref. im- not + patiens patient. See Patient.]
1. Not patient; not bearing with composure; intolerant; uneasy; fretful; restless, because of pain, delay, or opposition; eager for change, or for something expected; hasty; passionate; -- often followed by at, for, of, and under. A violent, sudden, and impatient necessity. Jer. Taylor. Fame, impatient of extremes, decays Not more by envy than excess of praise. Pope. The impatient man will not give himself time to be informed of the matter that lies before him. Addison. Dryden was poor and impatient of poverty. Macaulay.
2. Not to be borne; unendurable. [Obs.] Spenser.
3. Prompted by, or exhibiting, impatience; as, impatient speeches or replies. Shak.
Syn. -- Restless; uneasy; changeable; hot; eager; fretful; intolerant; passionate.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Impatient, n.
One who is impatient. [R.]
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for impatient; he lists it under eager, restive.
Where he writes about it:
With this the metaphorical use of the word agrees, which is always in the sense of such terms as impatient, intractable, rebellious, and the like; a people restive under despotism are not disposed to "rest" under it, but to resist it and fling it off. — from restive