IRK Synonyms: 145 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'irk' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of irk are annoy , bother , and vex . While all these words mean "to upset a person's composure," irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit. // careless waste irks the boss

Q: In what contexts can 'annoy' take the place of 'irk'?

While the synonyms annoy and irk are close in meaning, annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness. // their constant complaining annoys us

Q: Where would 'bother' be a reasonable alternative to 'irk'?

The meanings of bother and irk largely overlap; however, bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind. // don't bother me while I'm reading

Q: When can 'vex' be used instead of 'irk'?

The synonyms vex and irk are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 1 of 2

verb

ˈərk

Definition of irk next

as in to annoy

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts she irked her friend by chewing her gum loudly during the movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

irk

2 of 2

noun

as in headache

something that is a source of irritation one of the prof's major irks is a cell phone that rings during a lecture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb irk differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of irk are annoy, bother, and vex. While all these words mean "to upset a person's composure," irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

In what contexts can annoy take the place of irk?

While the synonyms annoy and irk are close in meaning, annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

Where would bother be a reasonable alternative to irk?

The meanings of bother and irk largely overlap; however, bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

When can vex be used instead of irk?

The synonyms vex and irk are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of irk

Verb

But any last-minute executive orders or actions are sure to irk Trump, despite the fact that last-minute moves by an outgoing president are typical. —

Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025 Trump has also irked the United States’ land neighbors, Canada and Mexico, seemingly jokingly referring to Canada as the 51st state and calling to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. —

Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025

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 See all Example Sentences for irk

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irk

Verb

Patrice O’Neal did a wonderful job of being annoyed.

— Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
Together the besties are annoyed by the mundanity of their jobs, from fielding ridiculous customer complaints to suffering the indignity of having their service summoned by a bell on a pop-up flag installed on the tables.

— Courtney Howard, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025