1
as in annoying
causing annoyance
his particularly irritating habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
constant chatter irritated the student, who was trying to concentrate on a hard assignment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irritating
Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
The power plant doesn’t just sound irritating, nearby homeowners say.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
And for Paramount, losing an expensive late-night comedian and irritating a few TV personalities may ultimately be the cost of doing business in a world where the biggest transactions could hinge on the feelings of a mercurial and demanding world leader.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Adjective
The gentle cream is designed for daily use and is fragrance-free and non-irritating.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
The power plant doesn’t just sound irritating, nearby homeowners say.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Seminole-Palm Harbor contest got a bit dicey in the second half, with questionable calls irritating players, coaches and fans, most notably on the Seminole side.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
And for Paramount, losing an expensive late-night comedian and irritating a few TV personalities may ultimately be the cost of doing business in a world where the biggest transactions could hinge on the feelings of a mercurial and demanding world leader.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating
Adjective
-
Each individual increase feels tolerable – annoying, maybe, but not catastrophic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The consequences of all this information range from mildly annoying to very serious.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His team, which includes his advisor Atsushi Shirane and Masaya Miyahara of Japan’s High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), is aiming to develop a wireless system for controlling robots in this harsh environment.—
Katherine Bourzac,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Items that are wind-resistant and waterproof will be good for use in many harsh weather conditions in which the user would need protection.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
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Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Eggs may be dyed one color, with designs created by scratching the egg with a sharp tool to reveal the white eggshell beneath.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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Florida shooting guard Xavian Lee’s indecision culminated in a coast-to-coast sequence that ended in a head-scratching turnover instead of a potential game-winner.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Instead of posing questions about geography or world affairs, the test asked him to tackle hypothetical situations, from the frustrating to the dangerous.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Travelers said the long lines have been frustrating and are looking forward to TSA officers getting paid again.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Heat has also now allowed more than 120 points in eight of the 10 games during this rough 2-8 stretch.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Italian coast guard operated in the Libyan search and rescue area amid rough weather conditions, a spokesman said on Wednesday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
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But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
26 Mar. 2026
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Purée until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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