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irk

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noun

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
Ahead of that, a special event held in Episode 5 (out Feb. 14) will present an opportunity for more theremin playing, though Miss Huang will be irked to be snubbed again. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 9 Feb. 2025 Both coaches successfully utilized challenges in the first half, irked by a tightly and often incorrectly officiated contest. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 29 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
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Early signs of the disease include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, while half of all HPS patients also go through headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal pain.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Symptoms include depression, disinterest in the job, listlessness, apathy, insomnia, stomach upset, headache and dizziness.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • First, coffee is significantly more acidic than matcha, which can irritate some people's stomachs or cause heartburn.
    Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 26 Mar. 2025
  • She’s disillusioned with her boyfriend and irritated by her mother.
    Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.
    Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
  • However, residents argue that the alligator, who had been sunning beside a pond on the property for more than a decade, was not a nuisance but that his fate was in fact decided by the new management, who thought the wild animal posed a risk to residents.
    Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In the past two seasons, the Nuggets have been a thorn in the Lakers' side, being eliminated by Denver in the playoffs.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Property taxes are a thorn in the side of homeowners.
    Maddie McGay, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Ema then asks the question that’s been bugging her—why hasn’t Leo’s body been found?
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Ferrell bugs his eyes out and sighs a series of increasingly desperate spit-takes, but this project was probably doomed from the get-go.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Jeff: When meeting with reporters on Wednesday, Chastain indicated he was mystified and offended by Logano’s post-race comments expressing frustration with the Trackhouse Racing driver.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Several owners of food and drink establishments have spoken with The Star in recent months to share their frustrations about property crimes affecting businesses across Kansas City.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irk. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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