Overview of verb irritate

The verb irritate has 3 senses

• annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devil -- (cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves")


• irritate -- (excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame; "Aspirin irritates my stomach")


• irritate -- (excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus; "irritate the glands of a leaf")

Overview of adj irritating

The adj irritating has 3 senses

• annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing -- (causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito"; "swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong")


• irritating, irritative -- ((used of physical stimuli) serving to stimulate or excite; "an irritative agent")


• irritating, painful -- (causing physical discomfort; "bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful")