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irking

verb

present participle of irk
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 irking The station played popular music only at night, irking listeners and causing pirate radio stations to proliferate. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 But irking jealous opposing coaches with a little tampering is one thing. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 11 June 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
  1. annoying
  2. bothering
  3. irritating
  4. bugging
  5. persecuting
  6. aggravating
Verb
  • Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • Lane Kiffin will stroll off the LSU bus later this afternoon, acting as if none of the noise is bothering him.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The injury was something that had been bothering Smith throughout training camp, but the decision to get surgery wasn’t made until recently.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • The textured surface made whisking things like custard or béchamel irritating as the whisk repeatedly snagged on the textured surface.
    — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Customers no longer receive generic, irritating blasts, instead experiencing highly contextual, proactive and genuinely helpful brand interactions that adapt to their real-time needs.
    — Pratik Bhadra, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting
Verb
  • First baseman Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup Monday managing right knee soreness, and second baseman Miguel Rojas was playing through shoulder soreness after aggravating a longstanding partial tear in a labrum.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The shutdown, which could last for weeks – the extent of the damage is not yet clear – is aggravating an already tough situation for the global oil market.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggravating

Browse Nearby Words

irked
irking
irks
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Cite this Entry

“Irking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irking. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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