irritate

[ir-i-teyt]

verb (used with object)

irritated, irritating 

1. to excite to impatience or anger; annoy.

   Synonyms: inflame, infuriate, enrage, incense, pic, ruffle, nettle, gall, fret, chafe, vex

2. Physiology, Biology.,  to excite (a living system) to some characteristic action or function.

3. Pathology.,  to bring (a body part) to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.

verb (used without object)

irritated, irritating 

1. to cause irritation or become irritated.

irritate

/ ˈɪrɪˌteɪt /

verb

1. to annoy or anger (someone)

2. (tr) biology to stimulate (an organism or part) to respond in a characteristic manner

3. (tr) pathol to cause (a bodily organ or part) to become excessively stimulated, resulting in inflammation, tenderness, etc

Other Word Forms

• irritator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of irritate¹

1525–35; < Latin irrītātus, past participle of irrītāre to arouse to anger, excite, aggravate, equivalent to irritā- v. stem + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of irritate¹

C16: from Latin irrītāre to provoke, exasperate

Synonym Study

Irritate, exasperate, provoke mean to annoy or stir to anger. To irritate is to excite to impatience or angry feeling, often of no great depth or duration: to irritate by refusing to explain an action. To exasperate is to irritate to a point where self-control is threatened or lost: to exasperate by continual delays and excuses. To provoke is to stir to a sudden, strong feeling of resentful anger as by unwarrantable acts or wanton annoyance: to tease and provoke an animal until it attacks.

Example Sentences

One of those booing sessions really irritated Frank.

Read more on BBC

But Papperger’s willingness to publicly comment on negotiations and his assertive style have irritated officials in Germany, his largest client, according to people familiar with the matter.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The top 25 most-viewed videos analysed by Hales contained products with an average of 11 and a maximum of 21 potentially irritating active ingredients for pediatric skin.

Read more on Barron's

Science fiction bursts at the seams with bizarre extinction scenarios, usually delivered from space, like the one that precipitates Carol’s irritating life turn.

Read more on Salon

It’s a puzzling and irritating gesture that in context sounds like a mistake.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• aggravate 
• annoy 
• bother 
• confuse 
• disturb 
• enrage 
• exasperate 
• gall 
• incense 
• inflame 
• infuriate 
• irk 
• offend 
• peeve 
• provoke 
• rankle 
• rattle 
• rile 
• sour 
• vex