irritate

verb

ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt 

irritated; irritating

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

• aggravate
• annoy
• bother
• bug
• burn (up)
• chafe
• eat
• exasperate
• frost
• gall
• get
• grate
• gripe
• hack (off)
• irk
• itch
• nark [British]
• nettle
• peeve
• persecute
• pique
• put out
• rasp
• rile
• ruffle
• spite
• vex

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

Salt grains may be irritating, especially for people with sensitive skin types. —Susan Bard, Health, 18 Mar. 2025

In addition to the on-again, off-again tariffs and the militarization of the border, Trump has irritated Mexico by renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025

Too much pressure, heat, or movement could irritate the skin, cause redness, or even contribute to fine lines over time. —Siena Gagliano, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025

Musk’s years-long shift toward the right-wing irritated some of those customers, although the performance of Tesla’s EVs helped mitigate the damage. —William Gavin, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin irritatus, past participle of irritare

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for irritate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

irritate

verb

ir·​ri·​tate ˈir-ə-ˌtāt 

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 

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