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

That irks the panelists, too, evidenced in a shot of Wilson rolling his eyes at one of Coulter’s kookier mendacities.

Read more on Salon

Posters of her face were put up in her neighbourhood and her mother posted pleas on Facebook in Spanish for her return - public overtures that apparently irked the teen.

Read more on BBC

To be sure, Bad Bunny checks many boxes that irk conservatives.

Read more on Salon

The company had also stopped communicating with Jefferies’ investment bankers, irking people within the firm.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s a provision that has irked the industry ever since the measure, Proposition 103, also established an elected insurance commissioner with the authority over rates.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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