- present participle of irritate.
irritating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irritating
First recorded in 1700–10; irritat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
If something's irritating, it annoys you. To most people, tuneless whistling and fingernails on a chalkboard are both irritating sounds. Irritating things bug you. A little kid kicking the back of your seat on an airplane, a driver who follows you too closely on the highway, an early morning work crew right outside your bedroom window — all of these things can be irritating. A more physical way for something to be irritating is if it causes irritation — like a rash or soreness or pain. Your new watch may be irritating to your skin, leaving a red mark on your wrist.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He died in 1806, remembered for possessing an acute mind, an aloof personality and a tendency to be terminally irritating to his colleagues and the king.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
For nearly 60 years, “60 Minutes” has stood apart because of its stubborn independence and commitment to irritating powerful people.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
A government source said the upgrade would "rocket boost connectivity on every main line train in Britain over the next few years, tackling both slow speeds and irritating not-spots".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
The US Environmental Protection Agency says methyl methacrylate is irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes in humans.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
Making his way home, he resolved that he would hunt and shoot something, anything, to impress his family, especially his sisters, who thought he was a nuisance, beneath notice, as irritating as a fly.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
