IRRITATE Definition & Meaning

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irritate

[ ir-i-teyt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

irritated, irritating.

to excite to impatience or anger; annoy.
Synonyms: , , , , , , , , , ,
Physiology, Biology. to excite (a living system) to some characteristic action or function.
Pathology. to bring (a body part) to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.

verb (used without object)

irritated, irritating.

to cause irritation or become irritated.

irritate

/ ˈɪ��ɪˌ�ٱ�ɪ�� /

verb

to annoy or anger (someone)
tr biology to stimulate (an organism or part) to respond in a characteristic manner
tr pathol to cause (a bodily organ or part) to become excessively stimulated, resulting in inflammation, tenderness, etc

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Derived Forms

ˈ��ˌ�ٲ��ٴǰ�, noun

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��۾�·�ٲ�t�ǰ� noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of irritate¹

1525–35; < Latin ��ī��ٳܲ�, past participle of ��ī�� to arouse to anger, excite, aggravate, equivalent to ��- v. stem + -tus past participle suffix

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of irritate¹

C16: from Latin ��ī�� to provoke, exasperate

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Synonym Study

Irritate, exasperate, provoke mean to annoy or stir to anger. To irritate is to excite to impatience or angry feeling, often of no great depth or duration: to irritate by refusing to explain an action. To exasperate is to irritate to a point where self-control is threatened or lost: to exasperate by continual delays and excuses. To provoke is to stir to a sudden, strong feeling of resentful anger as by unwarrantable acts or wanton annoyance: to tease and provoke an animal until it attacks.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The drop was especially steep in Germany, where Musk irritated voters by throwing his electoral support behind the extreme-right neo-Nazi party Alternative for Germany.

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Alexander-Arnold irritated some Reds supporters in October by saying in an interview with Sky Sports that he would rather win a Ballon d'Or,, external football's most prestigious individual honour, than another Champions League with Liverpool.

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As a Day 1 fan of the series, I have never been more irritated by a weekly release.

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Two characters are more finely drawn: Emelie, chummy and self-deprecating, irritating but believable, and Låke, whose unique style we encounter in the book’s best and shortest chapters.

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In addition to the on-again, off-again tariffs and the militarization of the border, Trump has irritated Mexico by renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

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