irk

verb

ˈərk 

irked; irking; irks

transitive verb

: to make weary, irritated, or bored

Synonyms of irk

• annoy
• bother
• irritate
• bug
• persecute

Choose the Right Synonym for irk

annoy, vex, irk, bother mean to upset a person's composure.

annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

Examples of irk in a Sentence

Drivers were irked by the higher gasoline prices.

It irks me to have to clean up after you.

Recent Examples on the Web

On a separate note, my parents are medical professionals, and ER seemed to really irk them. —Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 2 June 2026

Adelman was always frustrated with anything that wasn’t basketball-related, and he’d often be irked by basketball played below its potential. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 2 June 2026

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital that Somaliland’s recognition of Israel and Israel’s recognition of it last December has clearly irked Iran. —Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026

Its constant presence has long irked leaders in China, whose own navy has undergone rapid modernization and is now the largest in the world. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 16 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irk

• berk
• birk
• cirque
• clerk
• dirk
• erk
• jerk
• kirk
• lurk
• merc
• merch
• merk

Kids Definition

irk

verb

ˈərk

: to make weary, irritated, or bored : annoy