as in annoying
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she irked her friend by chewing her gum loudly during the movie
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Recent Examples of irking
The Bruins finished the season 16-1 in their own building, notching another huge win over Nebraska late on Tuesday (with the tip time irking UCLA coach Mick Cronin).
—
Jim Root, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
And analysts say that countries, including smaller developing markets, may be more wary of irking China, even to protect the growth of their own manufacturing sectors – especially when contending with a US trade war.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
Jim Root, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
And analysts say that countries, including smaller developing markets, may be more wary of irking China, even to protect the growth of their own manufacturing sectors – especially when contending with a US trade war.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irking
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Eventually, the girl let on that her classmate had indeed been bothering her, poking her in the back and face with his fingers — but did not say the boy had threatened to kill her, according to the police report.—
Jeff Ernsthausen,
ProPublica,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While it’s powered by retinol, an ingredient known to be irritating, this treats my under-eye with care.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
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The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 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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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There might be more than one bench spot to be won on the opening-day roster, as infielder Sung-Mun Song has not swung a bat since aggravating a right oblique strain on Sunday.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Rory McIlroy withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational before the third round after aggravating his back during a pre-round workout.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irking. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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