irritating

1 of 2

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.

irritating

2 of 2

present participle of irritate

Synonyms of irritating

Adjective

• annoying
• frustrating
• disturbing

Examples of irritating in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

That tiny gesture may explain why secret copying can feel especially irritating. — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026

Despite its splashy unveiling, Project Zenith is more about making the OS less irritating for developers than adding any groundbreaking capabilities. — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026

Another slightly irritating quirk is that the top only stays open for 9 seconds. — Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Sep. 2026

Mars in your sign challenges disciplined Saturn, creating the deeply irritating experience of feeling motivated and blocked at the same time. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irritating

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