irritate
verb
ir·ri·tate
ˈir-ə-ˌtāt 
irritated; irritating
1
: to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in : annoy
2
: to induce irritability in or of
: to cause or induce displeasure or irritation
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
Things escalated further as fans began requesting photos and videos, reportedly irritating the R&B star.
—
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 July 2025
According to Valliere, people and pets should avoid coming in contact with several invasive plants in California, including:
Certain grasses, which produce long awns and seeds that can irritate skin, get stuck in pets’ fur, and cause discomfort for both animals and humans.
—Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
Nose breathing also moisturizes incoming air, while dry air breathed in through the mouth can irritate the lungs, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Huntington Health in Pasadena, California.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
The Enterprise Software Business Before AI ever showed up, this tech sector had three problems:
Post-Covid there have been drastic price increases, irritating buyers and stretching user budgets.
—Forrester, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 July 2025
According to Valliere, people and pets should avoid coming in contact with several invasive plants in California, including:
Certain grasses, which produce long awns and seeds that can irritate skin, get stuck in pets’ fur, and cause discomfort for both animals and humans.
—Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
Nose breathing also moisturizes incoming air, while dry air breathed in through the mouth can irritate the lungs, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Huntington Health in Pasadena, California.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
The Enterprise Software Business Before AI ever showed up, this tech sector had three problems:
Post-Covid there have been drastic price increases, irritating buyers and stretching user budgets.
—Forrester, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritate
Cite this Entry
“Irritate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irritate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
: to induce irritation
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