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Synonyms

irk

American  
[urk] / ɜrk /

verb (used with object)

  1. to irritate, annoy, or exasperate.

    It irked him to wait in line.
    Synonyms:
    tire, bother, fret, chafe
irk British  
/ ɜːk /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of irk

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Guests sipped on water and wine, though some were irked by the delay given their tight schedules and ritzy dinners that awaited them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The head of German auto industry group VDA decried the EU parliament's decision, saying it sent a "devastating sign" and risked irking Mercosur countries.

From Barron's

Treating dogs like cargo has always irked me, and peace of mind is important.

From MarketWatch

Goldman executives were irked by Apple ads that said the card wasn’t from a bank, people briefed with the matter told The Journal External link in 2023.

From Barron's

Goldman executives were irked by Apple ads that said the card wasn’t from a bank, people briefed with the matter told The Journal External link in 2023.

From Barron's

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.