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

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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

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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
Like nails on a chalkboard, whining—an irritating blend of talking and crying—has the ability to make almost any parent either lose their temper or cave. — Debby Waldman, Parents, 3 Aug. 2026 In fact, this is where our motivations become personal and perhaps even slightly irritating, especially if repressed emotions or sensitivities rise to the surface. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 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
  • The best mascaras for older women help coat lashes with color while addressing the annoying issues that come with age.
    — Micaela English, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2026
  • First, dust the surface to eliminate any annoying dust and dirt particles.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • The documentary spotlighted some harsh criticisms of the show and of Banks.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Now, amid the harsh reality of NBA life for those on the fringes, Thompson is off to the security of a contract in Serbia, to play in the EuroLeague.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • The one issue that is bothering me at or just before launch is the CPU's Wear and Tear management.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The arnica in this gel can help treat sore muscles, aches, swelling, or other pains that are bothering you, too.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • But all of these methods could damage the register by scratching the finish or denting the louvers.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Most on this roster aren’t established major leaguers, but players scratching and clawing for staying power.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratching
Adjective
  • McCaskill said the frequent outages are frustrating, especially during the high temperatures this summer.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Since then, a tarp has covered the area where the letters were once installed, frustrating those who sought to the remove the president's name from the building.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • Tampa Bay capitalized on a rough outing by Jesús Sánchez, who struggled to track two fly balls against the Tropicana Field roof.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • His platform season has been so rough that a lot of his closest comps in WAR are guys coming off serious injuries.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rough
Verb
  • However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • With the sprightly energy of a schoolboy, Jean-Paul Doron bounds into an empty creek, his red suede shoes scraping pale rocks.
    — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Any page that’s readable by a human could also be correctly interpreted by an AI scraping tool that simply renders the full webpage and uses optical character recognition on an image of the output.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

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