irk

[urk]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR irk ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to irritate, annoy, or exasperate: It irked him to wait in line.

Nearby words

Origin of irk

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

SYNONYMS FOR irk

chafe, fret, bother; tire.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR irk ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for irked

Possibly Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed Rogozin to be irked.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2009 he published a book defaming Hitchens and Richard Dawkins because he was irked by their bellicose brand of atheism.
Do We Need to Be Told How to Read?|William Giraldi|June 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Sure, Cruz recently irked fellow Senate Republicans by dissing them as “squishes” on gun control.
Squishes, Step Aside: Ted Cruz and Chris Christie’s Old-School Manliness|Michelle Cottle|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The particular reform that irked Conkling was the then-novel proposal to eliminate patronage in federal civil service hiring.
Let's Talk About the 'Guest Worker' Program|David Frum|March 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But some are irked by the extensive political posturing around rape, notably survivors and rape-crisis-center workers.
Richard Mourdock’s Comment Furthers Use of Rape to Win Election, Advocates Charge|Allison Yarrow|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Vaguely it irked him that even for a passing moment this interruption should break in on his thoughts.
Ladies and Gentlemen |Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb
After the humiliation of what had been said it irked Tabs to have to see him pay it.
The Kingdom Round the Corner|Coningsby Dawson
They had no occasion to test the effectiveness of the new automatic crossbows in combat; a lack of opportunity that irked Barber.
Space Prison|Tom Godwin
He had much more to say about Uncle Chris and his methods of doing business, and it irked him to be cut short like this.
Jill the Reckless|P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
The guests saw naught of her, which irked them sore, in truth.
The Nibelungenlied|Unknown

British Dictionary definitions for irked

irk

verb

(tr) to irritate, vex, or annoy

Word Origin for irk

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

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

Word Origin and History for irked

irk

mid-15c., irken "be weary of, be disgusted with;" earlier intransitive, "to feel weary" (early 14c.). Of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Old Norse yrkja "work" (from PIE root *werg- "to work;" see urge (v.)), or Middle High German erken "to disgust." Modern sense of "annoy" is from late 15c. An adjective, irk "weary, tired" is attested from c.1300 in northern and midlands writing.