They were called the intolerable acts because of their tremendous negative impact on the colonies.

Interesting question. First you need to look into exactly what is featured in the intolerable acts. The intolerable acts included clauses that had the following effects.

• British soldiers could be tried for crimes in England instead of Massachusetts
• Citizens in the colonies had to quarter, or house soldiers in their homes in times of war and peace
• The Boston Harbor was closed until the colonists reimbursed the king for the tea that was destroyed during the Boston Tea Party
• The right to hold town meetings (meetings that citizens could participate in to voice their opinions and make laws for their communities) was severely restricted

Well, if you were a colonist, wouldn’t this be “intolerable” to you? The fact that their rights had been trampled over led the colonists to name the Coercive Acts the Intolerable Acts. Hope this helped!