irksome

American  

[urk-suhm] / ˈɜrk səm /

adjective

1. annoying; irritating; exasperating; tiresome.

   irksome restrictions.

2. Obsolete. causing weariness or disgust.

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irksome British  

/ ˈɜːksəm /

adjective

1. causing vexation, annoyance, or boredom; troublesome or tedious

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Other Word Forms

• irksomely adverb
• irksomeness noun

Etymology

Origin of irksome

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; irk, -some ¹

Example Sentences

The grammatical solecism of the title isn’t the only vaguely—or not so vaguely—irksome element of “The Disappear,” a new play written and directed by Erica Schmidt being presented at the Minetta Lane Theatre.

From The Wall Street Journal

And this puts everyone besides Rapaport in an irksome if intriguing position.

From Salon

“It’s quite clear that the public find the fact that he lives in this enormous house extremely irksome,” says Robert Hardman, author of “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But what makes that introduction to the world of “Holland” particularly irksome is not just that it’s mistrusting of its audience, but that it’s also mistrusting of the film itself.

From Salon

Swallowing up the sand, blocking ocean views and turning the shore into an irksome maze, is a sea of large beach tents, called cabanas in Australia.

From BBC

Related Words

• aggravating
• bothersome
• irritating
• tedious
• troublesome
• troubling
• vexing