irritate

verb

ˈir-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce irritate (audio)
Definition of irritatenext
1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts constant chatter irritated the student, who was trying to concentrate on a hard assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scratch
to make sore by continued rubbing new shoes usually irritate my feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word irritate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of irritate are exasperate, nettle, peeve, provoke, and rile. While all these words mean "to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance," irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

When would exasperate be a good substitute for irritate?

The meanings of exasperate and irritate largely overlap; however, exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

When is nettle a more appropriate choice than irritate?

The words nettle and irritate can be used in similar contexts, but nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

When might peeve be a better fit than irritate?

While the synonyms peeve and irritate are close in meaning, peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

When could provoke be used to replace irritate?

The words provoke and irritate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

When can rile be used instead of irritate?

In some situations, the words rile and irritate are roughly equivalent. However, rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irritate Hepburn’s thorny performance veers away from her typical sparkling ingenue presence toward something more brittle (watching Holly Golightly restrain herself from cursing out a precocious, irritating child delights). —Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, Footwear News, 26 May 2025 This type of eczema is caused by exposure to irritating substances like soaps, detergents, dust, and frequent handwashing. —Sarah Jividen, Health, 22 May 2025 The volatile, irritating compound is called syn-propanethial-S-oxide. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2025 There are pull-ups made with Velcro that can irritate your child’s skin, especially when misaligned. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for irritate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritate
  1. annoy
  2. scratch
  3. bother
  4. scrape
  5. bug
  6. chafe
  7. persecute
  8. aggravate
Verb
  • The comedy as a second-class sibling to the drama is a notion that has annoyed the people who make television comedies for years.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 June 2025
  • In some cases, that will be obvious: You’ll get annoyed by weird or loud noises and odors, notice your energy bill has skyrocketed, or spot signs of a leak.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2025
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • Traditional metrics like likes, shares and views only scratch the surface.
    — Jehan Hamedi, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • It is crafted from 100 percent fir wood that’s durable enough to withstand everything from cat scratches to wind gusts.
    — Maggie Horton, People.com, 7 June 2025
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Whatever discomfort the 38-year-old was feeling didn’t appear to bother him thereafter.
    — David Close, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
  • In prior birthday events, perhaps a couple arrived early and had a cocktail, but never the rest of the party together, so this hadn’t bothered me before.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Definition of bother
Verb
  • With Jackson Jobe out of action until possibly 2027, Detroit has already scraped the bottom of the barrel of their pitching depth.
    — Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
  • Beat butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 June 2025
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • Say your mother kept bugging you to change a bad habit.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Next season is when all the little things start to bug me.
    — Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of bug
Verb
  • Musk was a near-constant presence in Trump’s orbit during his time in government, building a close relationship with the president while chafing at some other administration officials.
    — Brett Samuels, The Hill, 30 May 2025
  • The slim-fit, waist-length tank has an aesthetically-pleasing no-seam construction that doesn’t chafe against your skin (thank goodness!), and looks polished enough to throw on and go.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2025
Definition of chafe
Verb
  • In 1968 a Jewish Dutch woman named Selma Vos was persecuted to death along with her husband, Cao Richang, an eminent psychologist who had helped found the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
    — Nan Z. Da June 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
  • Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order by a judge forbidding his removal to El Salvador because of concerns he would be persecuted there.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Definition of persecute
Verb
  • The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • The intense confrontation both in the South Korean Parliament and among the public over Yoon's fateful act has aggravated the country's political polarization and shaken South Koreans' confidence in their democracy.
    — Se Eun Gong, NPR, 2 June 2025
Definition of aggravate

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irritants
irritate
irritated
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Cite this Entry

“Irritate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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