irk

1 of 2

verb

ˈərk 

irked; irking; irks

transitive verb

: to make weary, irritated, or bored

irk

2 of 2

noun

1

: the fact of being annoying

2

: a source of annoyance

Synonyms

Verb

• annoy
• irritate
• bother
• bug
• persecute

Noun

• headache
• nuisance
• thorn
• frustration
• worry
• annoyance
• irritant
• inconvenience
• problem

Choose the Right Synonym for irk

annoy, vex, irk, bother mean to upset a person's composure.

annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

Examples of irk in a Sentence

Verb

Drivers were irked by the higher gasoline prices.

It irks me to have to clean up after you.

Noun

one of the prof's major irks is a cell phone that rings during a lecture

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The bill irked various GOP factions, from deficit hawks to economic populists. —Eric Cortellessa, Time, 7 Aug. 2025

His Lake County expansion irked at least one competitor, the owners of the former Dreamers Arcade in Clermont, who accused him of rigging the competition by opening a rival gameroom called The Palace in 2021. —Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2025

Noun

New reaction: Whoa, which baseball deity did this guy irk? —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

The violence gets worse from there, and somehow all that is supposed to fit into a show about a Washington socialite whose biggest irk in the premiere is her rivalry with the first lady. —Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for irk

• berk
• birk
• cirque
• clerk
• dirk
• erk
• jerk
• kirk
• lurk
• merc
• merch
• merk

Kids Definition

irk

verb

ˈərk

: to make weary, irritated, or bored : annoy