1
as in annoying
causing annoyance
his particularly irritating habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
constant chatter irritated the student, who was trying to concentrate on a hard assignment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of irritating
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
People with sensitive skin may prefer mineral sunscreen, which is less irritating, while those with oily skin may prefer the lighter consistency of gel sunscreen.13
Step 8: Makeup
Makeup isn't part of a skin care routine, per se, but many people opt for it.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 15 May 2025
Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 26 Mar. 2025
Ingredients could have broken down into irritating chemicals once past their expiration date or there could be bacteria and yeast growing in the product, which could lead to infection and forms of skin irritation such as bumps and rashes.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Adjective
Consumer only just got used to the $70 increase from $60 a few years ago, and now this leap to $80, spearheaded by Nintendo and its Mario Kart World pricing, is irritating and exhausting when 4-5 games will now be the cost of an entire console by themselves.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
People with sensitive skin may prefer mineral sunscreen, which is less irritating, while those with oily skin may prefer the lighter consistency of gel sunscreen.13
Step 8: Makeup
Makeup isn't part of a skin care routine, per se, but many people opt for it.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 15 May 2025
Verb
Avoid Chewy Foods Chewy or crunchy foods can be irritating for people with bruxism.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 26 Mar. 2025
Ingredients could have broken down into irritating chemicals once past their expiration date or there could be bacteria and yeast growing in the product, which could lead to infection and forms of skin irritation such as bumps and rashes.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating
Adjective
-
Figuring out how to reply to an annoying co-worker on Slack?—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
In other words, these annoying tasks will actually start to feel good.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike harsher retinoids, this one is gentle enough for sensitive skin.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
-
The mask fully blocks out the harsh cabin lighting and that inevitable sunrise glow before landing.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
-
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Similar to a sheet pan, whole meals can be built in a Dutch oven, scratching that same itch for convenience and less clean up.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2024
-
But that’s just scratching the surface – addressing only the symptoms of the underlying challenges and only addressing them at the end of the SDLC process.—
Jeremy Vaughan,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The Copycat Conundrum: When Local Laws Protect Your Competitors Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of international franchising involves dealing with local copycat operations that exploit legal protections designed for domestic businesses.—
Mohaimina Haque,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
While these noises may not impact your daily life much, your neighbors deciding to start their yardwork could be frustrating.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Most young kids who are just getting used to their animal friends tend to be a little rough with them at first.—
Marilyn La Jeunesse,
Parents,
9 July 2025
-
His second and third seasons were especially rough.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Helped by the transaxle layout, the massive power gains, and sublime styling inside and out, the Vantage also requires less of the sacrifices dictated by low-slung mid-engine supercars that demand constant vigilance to avoid scraping on speed bumps, rough canyon roads, or driveways.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes,
29 Dec. 2024
-
The scraping sensations shouldn't be painful but may feel slightly uncomfortable.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Scientists have found a new way to cheat the system – which is both ingenious and disturbing.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
Multiple bullet-shell casings were left strewn on the ground near the disturbing scene outside the New York City Housing Authority development.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share