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

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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
Lukewarm water is much less irritating to your skin barrier. — Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026 The post carried neither hereditary title nor extraordinary fortune, and yet it was regarded with a degree of respect that many noble families found faintly irritating. — Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Verb
Morales turns another character who can be irritating into one whose lot, and whose needs, demands attention. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 But for those who just want to grab a bite or see a movie at the IMAX theater, the security protocol is an additional — possibly irritating — barrier. — Seamus Bozeman follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 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
  • The Moon shifts our mood toward fairness and cooperation, making compromise less annoying than usual.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • After all, if my brothers could be annoying, affectionate, and self-aggrandizing all at once, why couldn’t a man in the history books?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • The couple made sure the design included a basement where the kids could spend time, better insulation to handle South Dakota’s harsh weather and plenty of storage — all features their previous home lacked.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • Those are some of the harsh conditions that detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody described experiencing in recent weeks at the Federal Detention Center, a Bureau of Prisons facility located in a concrete tower in downtown Miami.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • Wasps are generally more interested in building their colony and finding food than in bothering people.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 17 July 2026
  • But after going ahead, England manager Thomas Tuchel tried to shut the back door by throwing on countless defenders and not bothering to attack Argentina anymore.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • For all the talk of playing small-ball in the postseason and scratching for every productive out, power-hitting is actually one of the most significant separators for pennant winners.
    — Neil Paine, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • While scratching his head on Citi’s Copilot take, Jim found the analysts’ commentary around Azure reassuring.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of scratching
Adjective
  • Conversely, there are moments throughout Pompeii where the trail goes cold due to insufficient documentation from 2,000 years ago, frustrating Hiddleston in the process.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • The recent weakness has been frustrating given the company's strong fundamentals.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz,Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • Today's launch aims to smooth over a few rough patches that the vehicle ran into during V3's debut on the mostly successful Flight 12, which occurred on May 22.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 July 2026
  • That comes after a rough day of trading as shares fell below their IPO price.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 July 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
  • Firms have been scraping Truth Social data for months, in violation of TMTG’s terms of ⁠service, ​according to a spokesperson.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 July 2026
  • In the past, most AI labs got the majority of their data for free, by simply scraping the internet.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of scraping

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Cite this Entry

“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on irritating

Nglish: Translation of irritating for Spanish Speakers

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