irritated 1 of 2

adjective

ˈir-ə-ˌtā-təd How to pronounce irritated (audio)
Definition of irritatednext
as in annoyed
subjected to and reacting with irritation irritated viewers were bombarding the station with complaints about the game's delayed start

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

irritated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of irritate
1
as in bothered
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts constant chatter irritated the student, who was trying to concentrate on a hard assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scratched
to make sore by continued rubbing new shoes usually irritate my feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 irritated
Adjective
The victim, 21-year-old Matt Duffy, said that Dana was irritated by his friends and him riding a jet ski. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 4 June 2026 There was a point in Patrick Paul’s ascension last season where his smirk, his hearty chuckles irritated, if not frustrated his opponents to the point of anger. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
Verb
Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026 Armenia’s pivot to the West has irritated the Kremlin, however. — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritated
  1. annoyed
  2. bothered
  3. scratched
  4. exasperated
  5. bugged
  6. scraped
  7. angry
  8. persecuted
Adjective
  • Hardin is more amused than annoyed, particularly given the origin of the FTD Burger.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Still, Pochettino’s tone indicated he was still annoyed to have lost.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • For all the breathless coverage devoted to celebrity engagements, weddings, and whirlwind divorces, some of Hollywood’s most enduring love stories involve couples who never bothered with the paperwork.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • The Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department advised anyone bitten or scratched by a bat or other wild animal to promptly clean the wound with soap and water, then contact a physician or go to the emergency room.
    — Kelli Arseneau, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Casey Schmitt was scratched from Sunday’s starting lineup due to an illness, but entered the game for the ailing Adames.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 30 June 2026
Definition of scratched
Adjective
  • For a variety of reasons that weren’t immediately entirely clear, there was a comprehensive and fundamental breakdown in access to the stadium that left many exasperated or furious.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
  • Such a reader would be even more exasperated by The End of Everything, which turns the dial up several notches.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of exasperated
Verb
  • When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
  • Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of bugged
Verb
  • As the scribes’ pens scraped the parchment, the words became inscribed upon their soul.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • When a user asked boat-botany why New Reddit isn’t scraped as often as Old Reddit, the Reddit employee pointed to a comment by another user.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026
Definition of scraped
Adjective
  • The Commission ultimately left it at 400 feet, prompting an intense reaction from the angry crowd.
    — Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026
  • Some of the women who were angry contacted the SFMOMA not simply to share feedback, but to try to ensure Bahr could never work with the institution again.
    — Lisa Curtis, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of angry
Verb
  • The Washington Principles also recognize that many sales of artwork by Jews during the Nazi era occurred while they were being persecuted, or under duress.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026
  • Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have been persecuted.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of persecuted

Browse Nearby Words

irritate
irritated
irritates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irritated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritated. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on irritated

Nglish: Translation of irritated for Spanish Speakers

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 gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All