Synonym Chooser

How is the word irritate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of irritate are exasperate, nettle, peeve, provoke, and rile. While all these words mean "to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance," irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

When would exasperate be a good substitute for irritate?

The meanings of exasperate and irritate largely overlap; however, exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

When is nettle a more appropriate choice than irritate?

The words nettle and irritate can be used in similar contexts, but nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

When might peeve be a better fit than irritate?

While the synonyms peeve and irritate are close in meaning, peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

When could provoke be used to replace irritate?

The words provoke and irritate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

When can rile be used instead of irritate?

In some situations, the words rile and irritate are roughly equivalent. However, rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

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 irritate In addition to the on-again, off-again tariffs and the militarization of the border, Trump has irritated Mexico by renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025 Too much pressure, heat, or movement could irritate the skin, cause redness, or even contribute to fine lines over time. Siena Gagliano, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025 Musk’s years-long shift toward the right-wing irritated some of those customers, although the performance of Tesla’s EVs helped mitigate the damage. William Gavin, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025 Products with fragrances can also irritate the skin. Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for irritate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritate
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
Verb
  • Not to be scratched by the digital revolution, vinyl posted its 18th straight year of growth, scored nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue at $1.4B – its highest since 1984.
    Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Not only may it not be well received, but you could be left scratching your head as to what is the next move.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • The right wing then scraped the ground and broke off at the fuselage, releasing a cloud of jet fuel that caught fire as the airplane overturned and moved down the runway.
    David Schaper, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The agent scrapes Google News and other sources for the latest updates and news that might interest his subscribers.
    Aytekin Tank, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • The movie's famous final scene sees Hackman's character playing the saxophone after his paranoia has led him to destroy his entire apartment to see if it was bugged.
    Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Zelenskyy had chafed at a deal without specific security guarantees from Washington.
    JILL LAWLESS AND AAMER MADHANI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • But as a rule, people get a little chafed at being labeled.
    Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • At least two of them fled Venezuela in part because Tren de Aragua was persecuting them, according to the lawsuit.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Yoon’s conservative supporters have latched on to his arguments as well as his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, strongly echoing the dynamic between President Donald Trump and supporters who say he has been wrongly persecuted by a corrupt judicial system.
    Beomsu Jo, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • He was charged with official misconduct, offering a false instrument, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operating without insurance, and driving with a facsimile license plate.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
  • In addition, people with painful joints may find more success with this form of exercise as the instructor is usually able to offer modifications to any movements that are aggravating. 4.
    Tim Petrie, DPT, Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irritate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritate. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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