English Explanatory Dictionary

irritate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in.
  2. To cause or induce displeasure or irritation.
  3. To induce pain in (all or part of a body or organism).
verb
  1. To render null and void.

Pronunciation

/ˈɪɹ.ɪˌteɪt/ en-us-irritate.ogg

Word forms

irritate irritates irritating irritated

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin irrītātus, perfect passive participle of irrītō (“excite, irritate, incite, stimulate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Synonyms

provoke rile aggravate annoy nettle rankle ruffle sting antagonize bother disgruntle botherate bug get grate burn up bedevil cheese off devil exasperate frustrate get up grotch hack off hassle irk irritate jazz molest mommick nark nerve pee off peeve persecute pique piss off rile up roil storm test someone's patience tick off trouble try one's patience vex wind up Idioms: boil someone's piss chap someone's hide get on someone's nerves get on someone's tits get on someone's wick get someone's back up get someone's dander up get someone's goat get someone's Irish up get someone's nanny get someone's nanny-goat get under one's goat get under someone's skin

Antonyms

placate please soothe

Related words

irritant irritation irritative irritatory disturb exasperate peeve

Derived words

abirritate counterirritate irritatable irritator
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