as in annoying
causing annoyance
the irksome habit of leaving all the kitchen cabinet doors open
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Recent Examples of irksome
Skarsgård is sufficiently wacky and off-putting as the irksome Johannes, and Jamie Demetriou does yeoman’s work as Charli’s put-upon manager, Tim, the poor sap tapped to keep Charli on task (and usually fails).
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
There are a few reasons why these words are so irksome.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
His quarry was Frank Sinatra, the reigning entertainment icon of the 20th century, then on the verge of turning the irksome age of 50.
—Mark Rozzo, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
But Cho isn’t studying irksome effects like hay fever, or what pollen means for the plants that make it.
—Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irksome
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
There are a few reasons why these words are so irksome.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
His quarry was Frank Sinatra, the reigning entertainment icon of the 20th century, then on the verge of turning the irksome age of 50.
—Mark Rozzo, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
But Cho isn’t studying irksome effects like hay fever, or what pollen means for the plants that make it.
—Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irksome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irksome
Adjective
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He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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Why Microsoft passkeys may feel confusing at first Security upgrades can be annoying.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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No longer being completely bound to a relaxer, these four women began navigating the fun, at times frustrating, terrain of natural hair care.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
29 May 2026
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When to See a Doctor For the vast majority of new parents, dry skin is a temporary, frustrating nuisance that resolves as your hormones stabilize and your body adjusts to its new rhythm.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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This is a company that built its reputation on engineering discipline, financial caution, and an almost irritating level of consistency.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 May 2026
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Regulators cannot chase every irritating screen on every app and website.—
Gregory M. Dickinson,
The Conversation,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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OpenAI had previously flagged her ChatGPT conversations as having a disturbing fascination with extreme violence, and suspended her account, but reportedly the company did not notify law enforcement.—
Anat Lior,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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In an hour-and-a-half interview with the New York Times Popcast that dropped on Thursday, Rodrigo staunchly defended the dress and called the criticism disturbing.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irksome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irksome. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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