irritate

verb

ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce irritate (audio)
irritated; irritating
Synonyms of irritate

transitive verb

1
: to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in : annoy
2
: to induce irritability in or of

intransitive verb

: to cause or induce displeasure or irritation

Synonyms of irritate

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for irritate

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.

irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

Examples of irritate in a Sentence

It's his arrogance that really irritates me. The other passengers were irritated by the child's rudeness. Harsh soaps can irritate the skin.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Leftover detergent or fabric softener can irritate skin and cause itching or redness in some individuals. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026 Excessive or undiluted consumption of ACV, for example, can irritate your gastrointestinal tract, erode tooth enamel, and potentially interact with certain medications, said Walker. — Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 1 Sep. 2026 Pick up a gentler, over-the-counter retinoid that won’t irritate your more sensitive skin, and will stimulate collagen production without exhausting your cells. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026 Antosh recommends checking with a doctor before using a high-pressure bidet right after childbirth or with genital ulcers, since powerful streams can irritate healing tissue. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritate

Word History

Etymology

Latin irritatus, past participle of irritare

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of irritate was in 1598

Rhymes for irritate

See All Rhymes for irritate

Browse Nearby Words

irritant clause
irritate
irritated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irritate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irritate. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

irritate

verb
ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce irritate (audio)
irritated; irritating
1
: to cause impatience, anger, or displeasure in : annoy
were irritated by the child's rudeness
2
: to make sore or inflamed
harsh soaps can irritate the skin

Medical Definition

irritate

verb
ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce irritate (audio)
irritated; irritating

transitive verb

1
: to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in
2
: to cause (an organ or tissue) to be irritable : produce irritation in
harsh soaps may irritate the skin
3
: to produce excitation in (as a nerve) : cause (as a muscle) to contract

intransitive verb

: to induce irritation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All