irritating
[ ir-i-tey-ting ]
/ ˈɪr ɪˌteɪ tɪŋ /
adjective
causing irritation; annoying; provoking: irritating questions.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
irritable heart, irritant, irritate, irritated, irritatedly, irritating, irritation, irritation fibroma, irritative, irrorate, irrotational
Related formsir·ri·tat·ing·ly, adverbnon·ir·ri·tat·ing, adjectiveun·ir·ri·tat·ing, adjective
Definition for irritating (2 of 2)
irritate
[ ir-i-teyt ]
/ ˈɪr ɪˌteɪt /
verb (used with object), ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing.
to excite to impatience or anger; annoy.
Physiology, Biology. to excite (a living system) to some characteristic action or function.
Pathology. to bring (a body part) to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.
verb (used without object), ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing.
to cause irritation or become irritated.
Origin of irritate
1525–35; < Latin irrītātus, past participle of irrītāre to arouse to anger, excite, aggravate, equivalent to irritā- v. stem + -tus past participle suffix
Related formsir·ri·ta·tor, noun
Synonym study
1. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for irritating
British Dictionary definitions for irritating
irritate
/ (ˈɪrɪˌteɪt) /
verb
to annoy or anger (someone)
(tr) biology to stimulate (an organism or part) to respond in a characteristic manner
(tr) pathol to cause (a bodily organ or part) to become excessively stimulated, resulting in inflammation, tenderness, etc
Derived Formsirritator, noun
Word Origin for irritate
C16: from Latin irrītāre to provoke, exasperate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for irritating
irritate
1530s, "stimulate to action, rouse, incite," from Latin irritatus, past participle of irritare "excite, provoke." An earlier verb form was irrite (mid-15c.), from Old French irriter. Meaning "annoy, make impatient" is from 1590s. Related: Irritated; irritating.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper