1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

irritants

noun

plural of irritant
as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation the whining child was a constant irritant to his long-suffering parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 irritants Their wavelike motion helps move around germs, mucus, dust, and other irritants so the body can dispel them via coughing or sneezing. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026 Use gloves to protect your hands from any potential irritants or chemicals, especially when mixing a cleaning solution. — Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026 Ingredients Diaper rash creams create a protective barrier between the skin and other irritants. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2026 As federal agents increasingly used chemical irritants on crowds, Michael Cavlan began spending less time patrolling and more time treating people who’d been hurt. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Carney also said that Washington viewed protections for French and Canadian culture — considered fundamental rights in Canada — as irritants to trade. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 For many of us, these little irritants make screen-cleaning an easy chore to remember. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026 Police say a confrontation between the two groups happened quickly and chemical irritants were used by both sides. — Chloe Rosen, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026 Sharks are known to rub against reefs, sand, rocks and even the seafloor to remove irritants. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritants
  1. headaches
  2. nuisances
  3. frustrations
  4. thorns
  5. annoyances
  6. inconveniences
Noun
  • There will be recruiting battles and NIL headaches and portal defections and angry message boards and all the other insanity that comes with coaching at a place where fans consider 9-3 an average record rather than an accomplishment.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The growth that got her there had eaten everything—more people, more vendors, more headaches, but no more margin.
    — Meredith Moore, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of headaches
Noun
  • The petition sought to classify data centers as industrial nuisances, arguing that a ban would protect residents’ property and preserve city resources, such as water and electricity.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900.
    — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisances
Noun
  • Fazio has sought to tap into voters’ lingering frustrations over electric rates by placing the issue at the center of his messaging.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • For its part, the KC401 addresses the frustrations facing consumers.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrations
Noun
  • Besides a necklace of thorns, which draws small drops of blood, Kahlo appears to be more focused on the relief of healing.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Roses are considered non-toxic, though thorns can cause injuries and floral preservatives may still pose a risk.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of thorns
Noun
  • People are exhausted by subscriptions, signing up for apps, logins, passwords, and other first-world annoyances that are now common in the search to watch a game on TV.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Add in a few other clever accessories, and suddenly the small annoyances of traveling feel a lot more manageable.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoyances
Noun
  • There has never been any consideration of the inconveniences caused by CDOT.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Lycra Company is taking aim at one of performance apparel’s more visible inconveniences.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of inconveniences

Browse Nearby Words

irritant
irritants
irritate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irritants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritants. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of elegiac

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All