1
as in annoying
causing annoyance
his particularly irritating habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of irritating
Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Some viewers will know Rapaport from his decadeslong acting career but also that one very irritating season of Justified; others will know him for his anti-Palestinian rants and hatred of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Michael Prinzing, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Passive aggression can be irritating.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Adjective
What an irritating phrase, Helen thinks.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Some viewers will know Rapaport from his decadeslong acting career but also that one very irritating season of Justified; others will know him for his anti-Palestinian rants and hatred of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Patience is possible only when something irritating or difficult is happening.
—Michael Prinzing, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Passive aggression can be irritating.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating
Adjective
-
There is nothing more annoying than corners coming undone mid-sleep.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
One layer gives me all-over, medium-to-full coverage, a few additional dots to my cheeks and chin cover up the annoying splotchiness that's showed up on my skin recently.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Prosecutors say the defendant failed to take into account his girlfriend’s inexperience in mountain climbing as well as the harsh winter conditions.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Bathroom Fixtures There are no harsh or abrasive chemicals involved in steam cleaning bathroom fixtures.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One Florida resident reportedly hired a local mover without bothering to determine if the company was licensed, only to run into a boatload of trouble.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That's only scratching the surface of the symbolism and spirit of revolt that Bad Bunny brought to the Super Bowl.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 2026
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Mock suggests using gentle cleaning tools to avoid scratching the flooring.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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People who have filed claims complain that the review process has been complicated, frustrating and painstakingly slow and that cases are closed with no notice and no money awarded for their losses.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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The situation with Harlow, our deaf patient, is incredibly frustrating.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Frog Lake huts are remote structures miles from the Boreal Ski Resort and are in an area known for being prone to avalanches and difficult to reach in winter due to rough conditions, according to the Truckee Donner Land Trust.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Tricia Tuttle has had a rough week.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
29 Dec. 2025
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Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Some Walmart shoppers could have already seen egg prices drop at their local stores, according to USA TODAY's shopping cart tracker, powered by Bright Data, a data-scraping company.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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