irk

1 of 2

verb

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
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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Tesla fans and Musk may still be irked about a White House event in August 2021, when General Motors (GM)’ EV efforts were praised — and Tesla was snubbed. William Gavin, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024 While the diverse kinds of grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services or Energy Department loan programs may not immediately seem representative of the sub-regulatory decrees that irk industry, increasingly the malignant materiality and significance of grants deserve more attention. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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 The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson varieties seem to sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of immunological irk. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2021 See all Example Sentences for irk 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of irk was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near irk

Cite this Entry

“Irk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irk. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

irk

verb
ˈərk
: to make weary, irritated, or bored : annoy

More from Merriam-Webster on irk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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