irritating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈir-ə-ˌtā-tiŋ How to pronounce irritating (audio)
Definition of irritatingnext
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
2
as in harsh
causing an unpleasant tingling sensation this soap leaves a residue that might be a little irritating if you have sensitive skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

irritating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of irritate
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scratching
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 irritating
Adjective
The irritating and inflammatory nature of the smog caused hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to become short of breath or to develop symptoms from underlying heart disease. — Rebecca Florsheim, STAT, 17 July 2026 Few workplace behaviors are as small, common and irritating as the message that goes unanswered. — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
Be honest about what’s irritating or tempting you, because something’s got to give! — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 Her room was undecorated and gray, crowded with machines whose chorus of irritating beeping never ceased. — Anna Tsioulias, STAT, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating
  1. annoying
  2. harsh
  3. bothering
  4. scratching
  5. frustrating
  6. rough
  7. bugging
  8. scraping
Adjective
  • Edward Hoke is an ingratiating, appropriately annoying and attractive Blaze.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Cloobeck, 64, was arrested in May and charged with three counts of attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying and one count of harassment for making annoying phone calls, according to a criminal complaint.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • The plan would sanction top Russian leaders and introduce harsh new penalties on nations that purchase oil and natural gas from Russia.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Lebson and Richards ⁠denied that ​allegation, saying that Robert Gilman was held in extremely harsh conditions, tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs by guards, treatment ​that led to his transfer to the civilian hospital.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • Once your child starts spilling the beans about what’s bothering them, be understanding.
    — Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Hip still bothering Springs Springs lasted just four innings after issuing a season-high five walks, throwing 86 pitches — only 51% of them strikes — and gave up his 28th home run of the season, the most of any pitcher in the league.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • There are different types of algae scrapers for both glass and acrylic fish tanks, so choose accordingly to avoid scratching or damaging the aquarium.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, for those of us steeped in the tech field, there is quite a bit of head scratching going on.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratching
Adjective
  • What’s frustrating is the capacity to end voter registration already exists.
    — Ellen Kurz, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Though Gakpo was a frustrating watch at times throughout last season at Liverpool, his nose for a goalscoring opportunity cannot be denied.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has had a rough year, and in a cynical way, that makes for great TV.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • When the economy hits rougher patches, employers curtail hiring or tend to favor experienced workers, businesses lean more on technology to fill any labor gaps, and some consumers pull back on discretionary spending.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of rough
Verb
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
  • His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • Bourdain was doing all of the grunt work at the Flagship, scrubbing pots and pans, scraping plates, peeling potatoes, and cleaning shrimp.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Today’s blog post further claimed that Old Reddit is leading to unwarranted content scraping.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of scraping

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irritating
irritatingly
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Cite this Entry

“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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