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

Rubbing alcohol isn’t corrosive to metals, doesn’t stain clothes, and doesn’t cause the same irritating fumes as working with bleach does. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Feb. 2026

The hypoallergenic face serum is free from potentially irritating ingredients, such as parabens and synthetic fragrances, too. —Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026

It’s further dragged down by far too many irritating genre tropes to count. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

An irritating product or excessive use of active ingredients can quickly push skin into a state of hypersensitivity. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 27 Jan. 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