IRRITATES Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

irritates

verb

present tense third-person singular of irritate

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in scratches

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 irritates The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants. — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026 Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates. — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026 If someone is in your life long enough, they’re bound to do something that irritates you—and you’re bound to do something that irritates them. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritates

Verb

Hotel-booking platform HotelTonight surveyed 447 of its American adult users in June about what annoys them the most during travel.

— Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 21 July 2026
But Turner is a symbol for everything that annoys people about the Phillies.

— Matt Gelb, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of annoys

Verb

But as his guitar scratches away at Stewart’s velvet synths and glances off Mitchell’s drums, sing Reilly does.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Preparing for a college football Saturday with ACC Network scratches the same gameplanning itch for Fisher that used to take up his time during his more than three decades as a coach.

— David Ubben, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of scratches

Verb

But Morton chafes against such stark and incriminating simplicity.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
The debut novel from this English professor and pioneering feminist follows Mira, a suburban homemaker who chafes against patriarchal society, divorces her husband, enrolls in graduate school, and becomes an outspoken advocate for women’s rights.

— Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 25 June 2026

Definition of chafes

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

Definition of persecutes

Verb

Smullen’s campaign launched an anti-Constantino website that excoriates him for, among many other things, his past registration as a Democrat.

— Michael Hill, Fortune, 12 June 2026
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

Definition of excoriates

Verb

The tool scrapes third-party sources to compile additional information and context about individual tracks.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.

— Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026

Definition of scrapes

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irritated

irritates

irritating

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“Irritates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritates. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of irritates

verb

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