# irritating

/ˈɪɹəˌteɪtɪŋ/ (US) · /ˈɪɹɪtˌeɪtɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/irritating
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. annoying

adjective · CEFR B1

making you feel slightly angry or impatient.

For teachers: causing a state of annoyance, impatience, or mild anger.

- It is really irritating when people talk loudly on their phones in the library.
- The most irritating aspect of the new software update is the way it resets your custom preferences without warning.

### 2. causing physical pain

adjective · CEFR B2

making a part of your body sore, itchy, or red.

For teachers: causing physical inflammation, discomfort, or a painful reaction in a body part.

- The wool sweater was very irritating to my sensitive skin.
- The chemical fumes proved highly irritating to the workers' eyes, necessitating the immediate installation of a more robust ventilation system.

## Examples

- The constant dripping of the tap is very irritating.
- I find it irritating when people talk loudly on their phones during the train journey.
- 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.