irritating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- irritatingly adverb
- nonirritating adjective
- unirritating adjective
Etymology
Origin of irritating
First recorded in 1700–10; irritat(e) + -ing 2
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.
Beyond being irritating, mosquitoes spread dangerous diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and Zika, which together cause more than 700,000 deaths each year.
From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026
As characters, they may be flamboyant and/or ironic in a way often denied to the central investigators, whom they are likely to find a little irritating.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
For months, Graham worked the issue, at times irritating senior White House aides.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
They note rapid data center expansion has been being blamed for rising power prices across some states and concerns over environmental issues, noise driving wildlife away and giant humming fans irritating residents.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
As he set the table, he kept from glancing at the living room, although he could hear her laughter and Master’s voice, with its irritating new timbre.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
