irritant

American  

[ir-i-tnt] / ˈɪr ɪ tnt /

adjective

1. tending to cause irritation; irritating. irritating.

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noun

1. anything that irritates.

2. Physiology, Pathology. a biological, chemical, or physical agent that stimulates a characteristic function or elicits a response, especially an inflammatory response.

irritant British  

/ ˈɪrɪtənt /

adjective

1. causing irritation; irritating

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noun

1. something irritant

Other Word Forms

• irritancy noun
• nonirritancy noun
• nonirritant adjective
• unirritant adjective

Etymology

Origin of irritant

1630–40; < Latin irrītant- (stem of irrītāns ), present participle of irrītāre to irritate; -ant

Compare meaning

How does irritant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• vesicant vs. irritant

Example Sentences

According to a readout of the meeting from Carney’s office, the Canadian and Chinese leaders pledged to renew their relationship, and work toward resolving trade irritants between the two economies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Also an irritant for some locals: Most of the power will go to Tokyo.

From The Wall Street Journal

One of the Arctic’s great tourist attractions is, for military planners, one of its great irritants: the northern lights.

From The Wall Street Journal

West Germany, Japan and later South Korea all did the same, eventually running up surpluses that became longstanding irritants with the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is an amalgam of microeconomic irritants that vary by individual, time and place.

From The Wall Street Journal