ENGLISH
REFERENCE

irritating

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈɪɹəˌteɪtɪŋ// UK //ˈɪɹɪtˌeɪtɪŋ// ir·ri·tat·ing

v. making you feel slightly angry or annoyed. You use this to describe things like a loud noise or a person's habit that bothers you.

v. causing annoyance, impatience, or mild anger. Often describes repetitive sensory stimuli or persistent behavioral habits.


SIMPLE

The constant dripping of the tap is very irritating.

CONTEXTUAL

I find it irritating when people talk loudly on their phones during the train journey.

COMPLEX

While the initial sound was barely audible, the irritating frequency of the alarm eventually made it impossible for the researchers to concentrate on their data entry.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be', 'become', or 'find'.

Pitfall

I am very irritating with himI am very irritated with himLearners often confuse the '-ing' adjective (the cause) with the '-ed' adjective (the feeling).

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