irritating

adjective

ir·​ri·​tat·​ing ˈir-ə-ˌtā-tiŋ 

: causing displeasure, anger, or annoyance

an irritating noise/habit

I felt more and more angry. There was something very irritating and aggressive in Summerlee's demeanour.

—Arthur Conan Doyle

irritatingly

ˈir-ə-ˌtā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

The computer was irritatingly slow.

Synonyms of irritating

• annoying
• frustrating
• disturbing

Examples of irritating in a Sentence

his particularly irritating habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the floor

this soap leaves a residue that might be a little irritating if you have sensitive skin

Recent Examples on the Web

Few workplace behaviors are as small, common and irritating as the message that goes unanswered. — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down. — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Hillary finds leaning into the humor can be a good way to cope with some of the more irritating moments. — Lucy Boyle, Curbed, 26 June 2026

The hypoallergenic face serum is free from potentially irritating ingredients, such as parabens and synthetic fragrances, too. — Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irritating

• abdicating
• abrogating
• activating
• actuating
• advocating
• aggravating
• aggregating
• agitating
• allocating
• alternating
• animating
• annotating