irked 1 of 2

irked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of irk

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irked
Verb
The hiccup capped a series of communications mishaps that irked employees as the troubled retailer rolled out its first major restructuring in nearly a decade. Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025 Now, the mechanical shark featured in the film is notorious for malfunctioning, which irked Spielberg to no end. Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 But hearing pundits and supporters react to Juventus’ defeat to Como at the weekend, their first of the season, must have irked Tudor irrespective of how much the same mentality is ingrained in him. James Horncastle, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025 Dropping eight in coverage on the Broncos' final possession clearly irked Giants edge rusher Brian Burns. Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025 That last diagnosis, in particular, irked Michelle. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025 Frustrated hikers and out-of-state visitors Many visitors to national parks in the Washington, DC, region on Friday were just irked with the lack of services and poor communication. Brian Todd, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025 Legette, who is almost always good-natured, seemed irked by some of the questions during his media availability Wednesday. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025 Anthropic ran into a similar problem recently because of its strict prohibition on surveillance, which Semafor reported irked White House officials. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irked
Adjective
  • This person had a posh English accent and sounded annoyed.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • And then, as expected, some people are just annoyed.
    Clio Chang, Curbed, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Trier noticed that some directors said hello to him, whereas others couldn’t be bothered.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Still, the simplicity wasn’t what bothered him.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Castor oil is also an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial oil that can soothe inflamed or irritated skin.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Farmer grew irritated because a man was outside staring at him, the other employee told police, according to the news outlet.
    Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Banks has bugged Kerkering to clean his locker, to no avail.
    Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Power gains are bugged to be too low for a new power grind that no one wants to do anyway.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, stress can induce short term issues like upset stomach, vomiting or diarrhea, while longer term stress can both cause and contribute to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
    Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025
  • And so, unfortunately, people are upset about the comments.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The apology came after a sustained campaign by historians and activists who argued that the victims were persecuted for being poor, vulnerable, or simply different.
    James Frater, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.
    Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Megan seemed to resent that Jordan was often tired, and often wanted to rest in silence at the end of the day, while Jordan grew exasperated that Megan expected so much of him.
    Sam Reed, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Beavan said that fittings are intimate affairs at the best of times, but the failure of some men to cover their dignity sometimes leaves her exasperated.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Davis remains angry that none of the church’s former leaders were held accountable.
    Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
  • In the end, of course, an angry mob does chase the monsters around the castle, only to be chased by them in return (the monsters having rediscovered their reason for being), which results in some serviceable monster slapstick.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irked. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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