1
as in annoys
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 irritates
There’s another distinctly New York habit that irritates Manville — at the end of the performances, theatergoers leap to their feat, not just to applaud, but to whip out their cellphones to record the curtain call.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Somehow, this irritates Helen even more.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
His combative political persona irritates liberal critics.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2025
In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.
—Ciara Lucas, SELF, 30 Dec. 2025
Without this process, the air would be colder and drier, which irritates and constricts the airways and can lead to inflammation.
—Sarah Philip, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
Insoluble fiber mildly irritates the intestinal lining, stimulating the secretion of water and mucus, which encourages the movement of stool.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2025
But Chelsea won’t have it, shutting the whole thing down in a way that clearly irritates her.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Somehow, this irritates Helen even more.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
His combative political persona irritates liberal critics.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2025
In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.
—Ciara Lucas, SELF, 30 Dec. 2025
Without this process, the air would be colder and drier, which irritates and constricts the airways and can lead to inflammation.
—Sarah Philip, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
Insoluble fiber mildly irritates the intestinal lining, stimulating the secretion of water and mucus, which encourages the movement of stool.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2025
But Chelsea won’t have it, shutting the whole thing down in a way that clearly irritates her.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritates
Verb
-
One of its two young sibling protagonists, Amber (Bianca Belle), channels her feelings about the recent death of her mother into drawings of creatures born out of her troubled imagination, some of whom enact violence against the classmate who annoys her.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
-
There's just one thing about Claire Danes that annoys Matthew Rhys.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Light scratches in just the poly can be remedied with a 'restoring' product like Rejuvenate.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Article’s Torme desk scratches the itch for office furniture that isn’t sterile or corporate-looking.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Most people are able to put the splint away once their plantar fasciitis no longer bothers them.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That inward struggle made it to the surface because Glenn no longer bothers with charades.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout, emotion churns and chafes against a backdrop of political unrest, corporate malfeasance, and the everyday horrors that erode modern life.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
What follows is an absurd reckoning that mixes surreal humor and domestic drama as Shula chafes against her relatives’ hysterical funeral planning.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Travelers are advised to inspect hotel rooms upon arrival and use precautions like plastic bags or luggage liners to prevent bringing bed bugs home.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Check the head and base and foot of the bed, peeling back the top sheet to look for evidence on mattress covers, box springs, dust ruffles, and the headboard—and most importantly, the mattress seams and piping because bed bugs like to hide in cracks and crevices.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Meyer helped design a tracking system that scrapes data from Zillow to detect price hikes greater than 10%.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Kgasi makes his way down to one of the vertical surfaces of the pit and scrapes it gently.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What especially galls Marion is having eight touchdowns called back this season.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irritates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritates. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
