irk

[urk]

verb (used with object)

1. to irritate, annoy, or exasperate.

   It irked him to wait in line.

   Synonyms: tire, bother, fret, chafe

irk

/ ɜːk /

verb

1. (tr) to irritate, vex, or annoy

Word History and Origins

Origin of irk¹

1300–50; Middle English irken to grow tired, tire < Old Norse yrkja to work, cognate with Old English wyrcan; work

Word History and Origins

Origin of irk¹

C13 irken to grow weary; probably related to Old Norse yrkja to work

Example Sentences

We asked six workplace-design gurus to envision how architects and employers will try to fix what irks many workers about the office today:

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

State laws in New York, California and elsewhere have irked administration officials like White House AI Czar David Sacks and business executives who have called for federal action.

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But the junta's military backer China has been increasingly irked at the number of its citizens who are both perpetrators and victims of the scams, experts say.

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Beijing has led an international pressure campaign to crack down on the scam hubs, irked at its citizens being lured to work in the industry and targeting other Chinese with their cons.

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The “overtourism” that irks residents of Venice and Barcelona is also riling locals in Osaka and Kyoto, where kimono-clad visitors clog the streets and temples to secure their snapshots for social media.

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Related Words

• annoy 
• bother 
• disturb 
• gall 
• inconvenience 
• irritate 
• peeve 
• provoke 
• rile 
• vex