1
as in annoying
causing annoyance
his particularly irritating habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bothering
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
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 irritating
Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
People will likely find this irritating and exasperating, but the friction created will be worth the outcome, consisting of hopefully preventing people from being lulled into thinking the AI is divine.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 26 Mar. 2025
Ingredients could have broken down into irritating chemicals once past their expiration date or there could be bacteria and yeast growing in the product, which could lead to infection and forms of skin irritation such as bumps and rashes.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Adjective
Clearly, that was good news for those who are already invested in the currency, while perhaps being a slightly irritating irrelevance for everyone else.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
People will likely find this irritating and exasperating, but the friction created will be worth the outcome, consisting of hopefully preventing people from being lulled into thinking the AI is divine.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
Avoid Chewy Foods Chewy or crunchy foods can be irritating for people with bruxism.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 26 Mar. 2025
Ingredients could have broken down into irritating chemicals once past their expiration date or there could be bacteria and yeast growing in the product, which could lead to infection and forms of skin irritation such as bumps and rashes.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating
Adjective
-
Electric staplers may also include bonus features like a refill indicator light, high-volume stapling and jam-free staple pathways for reducing annoying backups.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV has a sleek and minimalist design that really stands out, and its black levels are flawless, resulting in no annoying light bloom at all.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The former Calle 13 member impresses her sensitivity to this piece, originally written by Orlando Brito and popularized in 1975 by the great Héctor Lavoe, giving it new life with her powerful, dramatic voice, accompanied by street guitars and harsh, aggressive chords that captivate the listener.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
15 Aug. 2025
-
While the comparison of slave babies being taken from their mommas, and immigrant children being separated from their parents might seem a bit harsh to some, the pain is the same.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
-
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Similar to a sheet pan, whole meals can be built in a Dutch oven, scratching that same itch for convenience and less clean up.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2024
-
But that’s just scratching the surface – addressing only the symptoms of the underlying challenges and only addressing them at the end of the SDLC process.—
Jeremy Vaughan,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But the most frustrating point among them is the argument shared by several critics and a wider collection of the audience that the film doesn’t have a deeper meaning and is ultimately about nothing.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Few things are more frustrating than running into a stubborn knot while in the middle of a brushing.—
Annie Blackman,
Glamour,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Battlefield 6 hype is losing a bit of steam with changes to its second beta run, involving new additions, controversial decisions and rough retreads of old modes.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
My mother, just beneath her skin, housed a palpable rage, and my father’s cheeks were pocked and rough from ingrown hairs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Helped by the transaxle layout, the massive power gains, and sublime styling inside and out, the Vantage also requires less of the sacrifices dictated by low-slung mid-engine supercars that demand constant vigilance to avoid scraping on speed bumps, rough canyon roads, or driveways.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes,
29 Dec. 2024
-
The scraping sensations shouldn't be painful but may feel slightly uncomfortable.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
To my mind, this is the most disturbing part of the retractions saga: the chaos, uncertainty, disrespect, and bullying, devoid of any underlying moral or philosophical reasoning.—
Elizabeth Kaye Cook
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Her dad, Taylor finds her art to be disturbing, but nonetheless harmless.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share