irritation
Americannoun
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the act of irritating or the state of being irritated.
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something that irritates.
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Physiology, Pathology.
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the bringing of a bodily part or organ to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.
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the condition itself.
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noun
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something that irritates
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the act of irritating or the condition of being irritated
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irritation
First recorded in 1580–90, irritation is from the Latin word irrītātiōn- (stem of irrītātiō ). See irritate, -ion
Explanation
An irritation is a situation or action that annoys someone — emotionally or physically. Your off-key singing in the car might be an irritation to the driver, or that poison ivy could be an irritation as well. It's an irritation when you're bothering someone else, and it's also irritation when you're the one feeling irked: "My irritation increased the longer the train sat there, unmoving, with no explanation." The earliest meaning of this word was more physical, a "sore or swollen spot," from the Latin root word irritare, "excite or provoke."
Vocabulary lists containing irritation
That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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The Sound and the Fury: Synonyms for "Anger"
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Unit 5, Week 1
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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.
Even the magic button that summons Diet Cokes to the Oval Office reappeared on the Resolute Desk last January, much to the irritation of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Just the sort of low-grade irritation that makes you want to be gently contained by dinner.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
How her skin would tingle with the first signs of irritation after just a few hours outside.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
One running gag involves the hotel’s irritation at the nearby goats who trample on the hoods of parked cars.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
There was a greater press of bodies in a narrower space, greater irritation.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
