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

Like may just play with like here, and co-op across consoles may be too irritating to bother with. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

The post carried neither hereditary title nor extraordinary fortune, and yet it was regarded with a degree of respect that many noble families found faintly irritating. —Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026

And compared with stronger anti-aging ingredients like retinoids or chemical exfoliants, copper peptides are generally considered less irritating and are often well-tolerated by sensitive skin. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 13 June 2026

More importantly, chemical fumes can become stronger and more irritating when heated, posing risks if your garage is connected to the house. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 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