irked; irking; irks
: to make weary, irritated, or bored
1
: the fact of being annoying
2
: a source of annoyance
Synonyms
Examples of irk in a Sentence
Verb
Drivers were irked by the higher gasoline prices.
It irks me to have to clean up after you.
Noun
one of the prof's major irks is a cell phone that rings during a lecture
Recent Examples on the Web
John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Apr. 2024
Vergennes has seen it all, and when Franklin settles with the British in a duplicitous last diplomatic pirouette, he is irked but not unduly.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
But the compromise received a lackluster reception, especially in the House where lawmakers were particularly irked that the final product was so significantly different from the dual-rate income tax plan that passed the House unanimously last week.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
On one hand, some residents complain that the celebrity couple want to create a large lake for recreational open-water swimming and have been irked by the noise and mess caused by the excavation work.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
The fact that the A’s are moving to Sacramento, of all cities, especially irked some fans.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
That the teams will not address the consequences of a no vote directly irks Tim Smith, campaign manager for the Committee Against New Royals Stadium Taxes.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
This omission irks some education activists, even those who admire Mr. Kozol.
—Dana Goldstein, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
The abusive Snider, whom Stratten married in 1979, spent a lot of time around the Mansion, which irked many people, including Hugh Hefner.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson varieties seem to sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of immunological irk.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2021
From that slight irk, a fuse is now irrevocably lit.
—Hank Stuever, Washington Post, 13 June 2019
But under the direction of Susannah Martin, those devices more irk than stoke fear.
—Lily Janiak, SFChronicle.com, 25 June 2018
Verb
Odle said he was irked that the other intersections along State Road 37, where large car dealerships and a Walmart are located, were finished promptly but 141st Street, with a string of mom-and-pop businesses, had to wait.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Apr. 2024
Vergennes has seen it all, and when Franklin settles with the British in a duplicitous last diplomatic pirouette, he is irked but not unduly.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
But the compromise received a lackluster reception, especially in the House where lawmakers were particularly irked that the final product was so significantly different from the dual-rate income tax plan that passed the House unanimously last week.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
On one hand, some residents complain that the celebrity couple want to create a large lake for recreational open-water swimming and have been irked by the noise and mess caused by the excavation work.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
The fact that the A’s are moving to Sacramento, of all cities, especially irked some fans.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
That the teams will not address the consequences of a no vote directly irks Tim Smith, campaign manager for the Committee Against New Royals Stadium Taxes.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
This omission irks some education activists, even those who admire Mr. Kozol.
—Dana Goldstein, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
The abusive Snider, whom Stratten married in 1979, spent a lot of time around the Mansion, which irked many people, including Hugh Hefner.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
The violence gets worse from there, and somehow all that is supposed to fit into a show about a Washington socialite whose biggest irk in the premiere is her rivalry with the first lady.
—Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson varieties seem to sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of immunological irk.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2021
From that slight irk, a fuse is now irrevocably lit.
—Hank Stuever, Washington Post, 13 June 2019
But under the direction of Susannah Martin, those devices more irk than stoke fear.
—Lily Janiak, SFChronicle.com, 25 June 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near irk
Cite this Entry
“Irk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irk. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
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