irritate

verb

ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt 

irritated; irritating

transitive verb

1

: to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in : annoy

2

: to induce irritability in or of

intransitive verb

: to cause or induce displeasure or irritation

Synonyms of irritate

• annoy
• bother
• bug
• persecute
• aggravate

Choose the Right Synonym for irritate

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.

irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

Examples of irritate in a Sentence

It's his arrogance that really irritates me.

The other passengers were irritated by the child's rudeness.

Harsh soaps can irritate the skin.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even minimal exposure to artificial lights irritated his burns, and recovery took months. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026

Many people have come out of the woodwork and jumped on the bandwagon, which irritated me. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026

The fact that the candidates excluded from the USC debate couldn’t find a way to participate in Tuesday evening’s alternative forum irritated some people involved in the planning, however. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026

However, Schylling disputed the study, saying its ingredients are not harmful and would not irritate skin at room temperature, according to CR. —Samantha Neely, Freep.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin irritatus, past participle of irritare

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for irritate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

irritate

verb

ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt 

irritated; irritating

1

: to cause impatience, anger, or displeasure in : annoy

were irritated by the child's rudeness

2

: to make sore or inflamed

harsh soaps can irritate the skin

Medical Definition

irritate

verb

ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt 

irritated; irritating

transitive verb

1

: to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in

2

: to cause (an organ or tissue) to be irritable : produce irritation in

harsh soaps may irritate the skin

3

: to produce excitation in (as a nerve) : cause (as a muscle) to contract

intransitive verb

: to induce irritation