Synonym Chooser

How is the word irritate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of irritate are exasperate, nettle, peeve, provoke, and rile. While all these words mean "to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance," irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

When would exasperate be a good substitute for irritate?

The meanings of exasperate and irritate largely overlap; however, exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

When is nettle a more appropriate choice than irritate?

The words nettle and irritate can be used in similar contexts, but nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

When might peeve be a better fit than irritate?

While the synonyms peeve and irritate are close in meaning, peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

When could provoke be used to replace irritate?

The words provoke and irritate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

When can rile be used instead of irritate?

In some situations, the words rile and irritate are roughly equivalent. However, rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

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 irritate Worst of all, thanks to sporadic bouts of spot alopecia, too many squeezes of a lash curler and irritating makeup removal can spark a lash shed for me. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2025 Gum issues: The chemicals in the pouches could irritate gum tissues. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Aug. 2025 Yet again, Trump has found something that irritates him and gone at it — as is his custom — with a chain saw and a staple gun where the tools should be a good deal more surgical. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025 As Venus irritates Pluto, exploring an office entanglement might not be a good idea! Usa Today, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for irritate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritate
Verb
  • But overall, people seem to finally comprehend that the protests aren’t just to annoy people.
    Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
  • This not only infuriated Epstein conspiracy theorists but also annoyed White House officials, who hadn’t been informed of the stunt in advance.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Staring at his Zoom camera, Welles scratches his head and remains silent for 20 seconds.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2025
  • According to team officials, Hayes was scratched for rest reasons while Zandalasini was ruled out with tightness in her left calf.
    Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • There are many players who let criticism bother them, and that’s bad for you, your teammates and people around you.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Passive-aggressive people rarely tell you exactly what’s bothering them.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.
    Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Now, faced with the threat of homelessness and the possibility that Kenny could be taken into state care, Lynette is left alone to scrape together $25,000 by the following morning.
    Allison DeGrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The characters muse about the extreme likelihood that their apartments have been bugged.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
  • That question also bugs the folks at The Utility Reform Network.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • Stigwood chafed at making anything less than a gritty film.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Still, the Jews chafed under Roman rule and finally rebelled in 66 CE, a revolt which invited the wrath of the Roman legions led by future emperors Vespasian and his son Titus.
    Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Foucault, a gay man who died of AIDS, was hardly unaware that people are sometimes persecuted and even killed for their sexuality.
    Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Open Doors is a global organization that supports and speaks up for Christians persecuted for their faith.
    Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Following a two-day trial in Leavenworth County District Court, the jury found Liberti N. Figueroa guilty on Tuesday of two counts of aggravated endangering a child.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Ball faces charges of indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, indecent exposure and unlawful contact with a minor, police said.
    Sean Neumann, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irritate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritate. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on irritate

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