1
as in annoys
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
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 irritates
Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.
—
Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Daisy is caught so off guard that her first reaction is to laugh, which irritates Ben.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Castor Oil Castor oil irritates the digestive system of the moles and makes the soil less inviting to them.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Weed pollen typically irritates people in the late summer and early fall.
—Seth Jacobson, wickedlocal.com, 5 Mar. 2026
If something irritates you, the Aries moon encourages you to speak up.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
There’s another distinctly New York habit that irritates Manville — at the end of the performances, theatergoers leap to their feat, not just to applaud, but to whip out their cellphones to record the curtain call.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Somehow, this irritates Helen even more.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Daisy is caught so off guard that her first reaction is to laugh, which irritates Ben.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Castor Oil Castor oil irritates the digestive system of the moles and makes the soil less inviting to them.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Weed pollen typically irritates people in the late summer and early fall.
—Seth Jacobson, wickedlocal.com, 5 Mar. 2026
If something irritates you, the Aries moon encourages you to speak up.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
There’s another distinctly New York habit that irritates Manville — at the end of the performances, theatergoers leap to their feat, not just to applaud, but to whip out their cellphones to record the curtain call.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Somehow, this irritates Helen even more.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritates
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
Seeing this much effort put into ripping off people annoys him.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
But that just scratches the surface.—
R. Scott Raynovich,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
-
Because glass scratches easily, pressure matters here.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
-
The programmer's rhythm is broken repeatedly, and the cumulative delay between intent and result is longer than anyone bothers to measure.—
Russ Bukowski,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
What feels like sci-fi resolves into a Realist worker portrait as a technological fantasy of efficiency chafes against the fleshy, earthly physical world.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
24 May 2026
-
Villanueva still chafes over these watchdog agencies.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When traveling, the EPA suggests inspecting any room visitors will be staying in for the presence of bed bugs.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
As an existing subdivision — 99% of it vacant — Azure Vista offered hundreds of buildable vacant lots populated only by red ants, quail and Groucho Marx bugs.—
Eric DuVall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The structured silhouette and clean lines feel refined without being flashy, while the durable leather withstands scrapes from branches and changing weather.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
-
All these ideas and connections sort of gradually built up in the same way that Yoriko, the sculptor, gradually adds clay to her model — and then scrapes some off again, and then adds new bits.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irritates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritates. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
