irritating

American

[ir-i-tey-ting] / ˈɪr ɪˌteɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

causing irritation; annoying; provoking;

irritating questions.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of irritating

First recorded in 1700–10; irritat(e) + -ing ²

Explanation

If something's irritating, it annoys you. To most people, tuneless whistling and fingernails on a chalkboard are both irritating sounds. Irritating things bug you. A little kid kicking the back of your seat on an airplane, a driver who follows you too closely on the highway, an early morning work crew right outside your bedroom window — all of these things can be irritating. A more physical way for something to be irritating is if it causes irritation — like a rash or soreness or pain. Your new watch may be irritating to your skin, leaving a red mark on your wrist.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023