IRRITATING Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

irritating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈir-ə-ˌtā-tiŋ

Definition of irritating

as in annoying

causing annoyance his particularly irritating habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in harsh

causing an unpleasant tingling sensation this soap leaves a residue that might be a little irritating if you have sensitive skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

irritating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of irritate

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

as in scratching

to make sore by continued rubbing new shoes usually irritate my feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Adjective

Another slightly irritating quirk is that the top only stays open for 9 seconds. — Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Sep. 2026 Mars in your sign challenges disciplined Saturn, creating the deeply irritating experience of feeling motivated and blocked at the same time. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

Tactics such as ragebait have only added to the fatigue, irritating enthusiasts already frustrated by the relentless churn of slop. — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 The Jazz played overzealous defense Tuesday, irritating Nikola Jokic enough to pick up an amusing preseason technical foul at one point. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritating

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritating

Adjective

Imagine a congressional coalition formed by kicking out the lawmakers, on either side, who are annoying—the Ted Cruzes and the John Fettermans.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Indeed, the survey showed that use of the horn is the most common action when drivers consider another driver to be annoying or angering them.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of annoying

Verb

His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.

— Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
For example, companies that benefit from customers not bothering to cancel subscriptions, compare prices, or search for better deals have taken a beating in recent weeks.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bothering

Verb

Lee is forever grunting and scratching and clearing his throat.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
People are advised to watch for signs of rodent activity including droppings, gnaw marks, scratching or scurrying sounds and rub marks along baseboards or around entry points.

— Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado Updated October 21, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratching

Adjective

Make no mistake, Sweeney inherits a talented but frustrating team.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Frustrating process to get assistance However, the new program will not launch until December, and some residents say a lack of clarity surrounding the assistance has made navigating the process frustrating.

— Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of frustrating

Adjective

Already postponed 24 hours, the invasion proceeded in the face of rough seas, strong winds, and low visibility in order to seize a small window in time of enormous consequence.

— Marc E. Andersen, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Japanese flight controllers want to avoid powdery soil and rough terrain when the mothership, a four-legged stationary lander, descends to the surface to gather samples in late 2028 or 2029.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rough

Verb

On Monday, a court granted the US government’s request to deny release of a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a top-secret conference room to steal the frontier lab’s secrets.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer.

— Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of bugging

Verb

Startup Hamlet has parsed tens of thousands of city council meetings by scraping local governments’ video recordings, tagging comments as friendly or hostile to a potential project.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Writers can upload a script and receive back a copy that is resistant to AI analysis, scraping and training.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of scraping

Browse Nearby Words

irritates

irritating

irritatingly

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Style

“Irritating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritating. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of irritating

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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