IRRITATING

annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing

(adjective) causing irritation or annoyance; “tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork”; “aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport”; “found it galling to have to ask permission”; “an irritating delay”; “nettlesome paperwork”; “a pesky mosquito”; “swarms of pestering gnats”; “a plaguey newfangled safety catch”; “a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him”; “a vexatious child”; “it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong”

irritating, painful

(adjective) causing physical discomfort; “bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful”

irritating, irritative

(adjective) (used of physical stimuli) serving to stimulate or excite; “an irritative agent”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Adjective

irritating (comparative more irritating, superlative most irritating)

Causing irritation, annoyance or pain.

Stimulating or exciting a response.

Synonyms

• See also annoying

Verb

irritating

present participle of irritate

Source: Wiktionary


IRRITATE

Ir"ri*tate, v. t. Etym: [See 1 st Irritant.]

Definition: To render null and void. [R.] Abp. Bramhall.

Ir"ri*tate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Irritated; p. pr. & vb. n. Irritating.] Etym: [L. irritatus, p. p. of irritare. Of doubtful origin.]

1. To increase the action or violence of; to heighten excitement in; to intensify; to stimulate. Cold maketh the spirits vigorous and irritateth them. Bacon.

2. To excite anger or displeasure in; to provoke; to tease; to exasperate; to annoy; to vex; as, the insolence of a tyrant irritates his subjects. Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god: Prevent the rage of him who reigns above. Pope.

3. (Physiol.)

Definition: To produce irritation in; to stimulate; to cause to contract. See Irritation, n., 2.

4. (Med.)

Definition: To make morbidly excitable, or oversensitive; to fret; as, the skin is irritated by friction; to irritate a wound by a coarse bandage.

Syn.

– To fret; inflame; excite; provoke; tease; vex; exasperate; anger; incense; enrage.

– To Irritate, Provoke, Exasperate. These words express different stages of excited or angry feeling. Irritate denotes an excitement of quick and slightly angry feeling which is only momentary; as, irritated by a hasty remark. To provoke implies the awakening of some open expression of decided anger; as, a provoking insult. Exasperate denotes a provoking of anger at something unendurable. Whatever comes across our feelings irritates; whatever excites anger provokes; whatever raises anger to a high point exasperates. "Susceptible and nervous people are most easily irritated; proud people are quickly provoked; hot and fiery people are soonest exasperated." Crabb.

Ir"ri*tate, a.

Definition: Excited; heightened. [Obs.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

9 June 2025

HERMAPHRODITE

(noun) one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.

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