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
- irritative adjective
Etymology
Origin of irritation
First recorded in 1580–90, irritation is from the Latin word irrītātiōn- (stem of irrītātiō ). See irritate, -ion
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.
Sal quietly seethes with irritation at Sonny’s misbegotten machinations, his chilly demeanor suggesting a tense and potentially dangerous volatility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
As a menthol analogue, it activates the cooling pathway, which helps stimulate tear production and relieve irritation.
From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026
But it started to feel, for Manchester United, Ilett's long wait for the club to win five games in a row had become an unwanted irritation.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
Residents began to complain of an “unbearable” stench that they said caused headaches, nausea, and eye, ear and nose irritation.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
Then, when I didn’t move, her confusion shifted into irritation, an expression I knew so well.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
