- to annoy or anger (someone)
- (transitive) to stimulate (an organism or part) to respond in a characteristic manner
- (transitive) to cause (a bodily organ or part) to become excessively stimulated, resulting in inflammation, tenderness, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ir•ri•tat•ing /ˈɪrɪˌteɪtɪŋ/USA pronunciation
adj. causing an irritation to the skin or other part of the body:the irritating effects of soot on the eyes.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- causing a feeling of annoyance, anger, or impatience:his irritating whining.
ir•ri•tat•ing
(ir′i tā′ting),USA pronunciation adj.
ir′ri•tat′ing•ly, adv.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- causing irritation;
annoying;
provoking:irritating questions.
- irritate + -ing2 1700–10
ir•ri•tate /ˈɪrɪˌteɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -tat•ed, -tat•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to cause (someone) to have a feeling of impatience or anger;
annoy:[~ + object]Her whining really irritates me. - to cause (someone to have) a feeling of itching or other irritation on the skin or on a part of the body: [no object]That chemical irritates if it gets on your skin.[~ + object]Harsh soap irritates her skin.
ir•ri•tate
(ir′i tāt′),USA pronunciation v., -tat•ed, -tat•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
ir′ri•ta′tor, n.
v.t.
- to excite to impatience or anger;
annoy. - Physiologyto excite (a living system) to some characteristic action or function.
- Pathologyto bring (a body part) to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.
v.i.
- to cause irritation or become irritated.
- Latin irrītātus, past participle of irrītāre to arouse to anger, excite, aggravate, equivalent. to irritā- verb, verbal stem + -tus past participle suffix
- 1525–35
- 1. vex, chafe, fret, gall; nettle, ruffle, pique; incense, enrage, infuriate, inflame. Irritate, exasperate, provoke mean to annoy or stir to anger. To irritate is to excite to impatience or angry feeling, often of no great depth or duration:to irritate by refusing to explain an action.To exasperate is to irritate to a point where self-control is threatened or lost:to exasperate by continual delays and excuses.To provoke is to stir to a sudden, strong feeling of resentful anger as by unwarrantable acts or wanton annoyance:to tease and provoke an animal until it attacks.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
irritate /ˈɪrɪˌteɪt/ vb
'irritating' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
abrasive
- bat
- blighter
- excruciating
- formaldehyde
- gadfly
- galling
- grating
- infernal
- iodine
- irritant
- irritation
- itch
- niggling
- nitrogen dioxide
- pestiferous
- pestilent
- tiresome
- tool
- varmint
- acrid
- allyl alcohol
- bland
- bothersome
- carrying-on
- cavil
- chlorine
- cowage
- cultured pearl
- darned
- drip
- ear-piercing
- ethyldichloroarsine
- fart
- formic acid
- gall
- grate
- hydrazoic acid
- hypoallergenic
- intrusive
- irksome
- iron
- itching
- ketene
- nag
- needle
- nerd
- nerve-racking
- offensive
- pearl