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
Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Strong gusts of wind disperse the pollen and mold, irritating lungs.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Adjective
The hypoallergenic face serum is free from potentially irritating ingredients, such as parabens and synthetic fragrances, too.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Valve’s timing also coincided with a tenuous time for Windows, when Microsoft was asking users to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, an OS with a reputation for being irritating and having higher system requirements.
—ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Strong gusts of wind disperse the pollen and mold, irritating lungs.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating
Adjective
-
At the same time, workplace politics could feel extra stressful and annoying, especially if someone becomes threatened by your confidence.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
The predatory add-ons were annoying.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The scheme has been so successful, law enforcement has created a joint FBI-National Security Division task force to disrupt the operations and have dealt a series of harsh prison terms to American accomplices who have willingly aided the North Koreans.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
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To fully embody her OnlyFans persona, an earthside alien named The Hungry Ghost, who offers mild nudity and harsh criticism of her willing subscribers’ genitalia.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
-
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The chance to work with the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager had been a significant draw for many of the players who had joined the club over the previous 18 months, and his abrupt departure left some scratching their heads.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
For textured handles or seams where grime tends to hide, an old soft toothbrush can help loosen residue without scratching the surface.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Few things are more frustrating than a disruptive night’s sleep.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
This scenario deprives producers, sales agents, and distributors of global monetization opportunities across all types of films, while frustrating audiences who discover these titles but can’t watch them.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a region of rough roads, Chispa is among the roughest.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
That is often billed as a finishing school for footballing talent, but graduates inevitably remain rough around the edges.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects.—
Sarah Linn
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Plus, the tilt-head design provides easy access to the bowl, perfect for making ingredient additions, scraping, and adjustments.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
14 May 2026
-
Using a flexible bench scraper or hard plastic spatula, fold dough over and onto itself several times, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, to bring together into a mass (dough will feel very wet and sticky).—
Claire Saffitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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