(one's) patience is wearing thin

One is becoming annoyed, exasperated, or angered (by someone or something); one's patience is diminishing. Please try to behave, kids. My patience is wearing thin. Mom always gets this frowny look on her face when her patience is wearing thin. Are you serious—that shipment still hasn't come in? Ugh, the boss's patience is wearing thin.

be (something) itself

To be the embodiment of a particular trait (stated between "be" and "itself"). My mom is just kindness itself—she's always willing to help anyone in need. He think he's wit itself, but he couldn't be more unfunny. Dad is patience itself. He loses his temper very rarely.

be out of patience

To be unable to remain patient any longer. I've been waiting for almost two hours to be seen by the doctor, and I am nearly out of patience. I could tell the teacher was just about out of patience with that troublemaker Jeff. They're still blasting that music? That's it, I'm totally out of patience with them and calling the police!

have the patience of a saint

To have an immense and unyielding degree of patience, especially in the face of problems or difficulty. This field of work requires people to have the patience of a saint, so if you're looking for immediate results, you're in the wrong profession. My sister is amazing. She has five unruly children, but she has the patience of a saint with every single one of them. Man, you have to have the patience of a saint to deal with all these miserable callers!

have the patience of Job

To have an immense and unyielding degree of patience and conviction, especially in the face of problems or difficulty. A reference to the biblical figure Job, whose absolute faith in God remained unshaken despite the numerous afflictions set upon himself, his family, and his estate by Satan. This field of work demands that you have the patience of Job. If you're looking for immediate results, you're in the wrong profession. My sister is amazing. She has five unruly children, but she has the patience of Job with every single one of them. Man, you have to have the patience of Job to deal with all these miserable callers!

lose (one's) patience (with someone)

To become or start becoming annoyed, exasperated, or angered (by someone), especially to the point of snapping at them verbally. I'm sorry for losing my patience with you earlier—I didn't get much sleep last night. I know he's being infuriating, but try not to lose your patience.

lose patience (with one)

To become or start becoming annoyed, exasperated, or angered by someone, especially to the point of snapping at them verbally. I'm sorry for losing patience with you earlier—I didn't get much sleep last night. I know he's being infuriating, but try not to lose patience with him.

out of patience

Having no more patience left; unable to remain patient any longer. I've been waiting for almost two hours to be seen by the doctor, and I am nearly out of patience. I could tell the teacher was running out of patience with that troublemaker Jeff.

patience is a virtue

proverb Having patience is a very beneficial trait that will improve one's life. A: "But Mommy, I want the ice cream NOW!" B: "Honey, I said you could have some after we got home. Patience is a virtue, you know." I've got to wait another two weeks to find out how I did on the exam. Oh well, I suppose patience is a virtue.

run out of patience

To become unable to remain patient any longer. I've been waiting for almost two hours to be seen by the doctor, and I am running out of patience. The teacher ran out of patience with that troublemaker Jeff and sent him to the principal's office.

the patience of a saint

An immense and unyielding degree of patience, especially in the face of problems or difficulty. This field of work requires the patience of a saint, so if you're looking for immediate results, you're in the wrong profession. My sister is amazing. She has five unruly children, but she has the patience of a saint with every single one of them.

the patience of Job

An immense and unyielding degree of patience and conviction, especially in the face of problems or difficulty. A reference to the biblical figure Job, whose absolute faith in God remained unshaken despite the numerous afflictions set upon himself, his family, and his estate by Satan. This field of work requires the patience of Job, so if you're looking for immediate results, you're in the wrong profession. My sister is amazing. She has five unruly children, but she has the patience of Job with every single one of them.

try (one's) patience

To frustrate or annoy one by continued unwanted behavior; to test the limits of one's patience. His tangential questions are clearly trying the professor's patience, who asked that all questions be held until the end of the lecture. Will you take the kids to the playground for an hour? They're really trying my patience.

See also: patience, try

try the patience of (someone)

To frustrate or annoy (someone) by continued unwanted behavior; to test the limits of someone's patience. His tangential questions are clearly trying the patience of the professor, who asked that all questions be held until the end of the lecture.

have the patience of a saint

and have the patience of Job

Fig. to have a great deal of patience. Steve has the patience of Job given the way his wife nags him. Dear Martha has the patience of a saint; she raised six children by herself.

lose patience (with someone or something)

to stop being patient with someone or something; to become impatient with someone or something. Please try to be more cooperative. I'm losing patience with you.

*out of patience

annoyed and impatient after being patient for a while. (*Typically: be ~; run ~.) I finally ran out of patience and lost my temper. The boss is finally out of patience with me.

Patience is a virtue.

Prov. It is good to be patient. Jill: I wish Mary would hurry up and call me back! Jane: Patience is a virtue. Fred: The doctor has kept us waiting for half an hour! If he doesn't call us into his office pretty soon, I may do something violent. Ellen: Calm down, dear. Patience is a virtue.

try someone's patience

to strain someone's patience; to bother someone as if testing the person's patience. (Try means test here.) My loud neighbors are trying my patience today. You really try my patience with all your questions!

See also: patience, try

try one's patience

Put one's tolerance to a severe test, cause one to be annoyed, as in Putting these parts together really tries my patience, or Her constant lateness tries our patience. This idiom uses try in the sense of "test," a usage dating from about 1300.

See also: patience, try

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

be ˌpatience, ˌhonesty, simˌplicity, etc. itˈself

be an example of complete patience, etc: The manager of the hotel was courtesy itself. ♢ Programming the video is simplicity itself.

the patience of a ˈsaint/of ˈJob

very great patience: I don’t know how she does it — she’s got the patience of a saint, that woman! ♢ You need the patience of Job to deal with customers like that.Job was a character in the Bible who lost his family, his home and his possessions, but still did not reject God.

try somebody’s ˈpatience

make somebody feel impatient: Jim’s constant complaining was really beginning to try her patience.

See also: patience, try

patience of Job, the

Long-suffering and forbearing. In the Old Testament Book of Job, the protagonist is the personification of both poverty and patience, subjected to numerous trials. His poverty has been referred to from time to time, but not nearly so frequently as his patience. Shakespeare used both in Henry IV, Part 2 (1.2): “I am as poor as Job, my lord, but not so patient.” And Jonathan Swift put it in rhyme (The Beasts’ Confession, 1732): “While others of the learned Robe would break the patience of a Job.”