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 These ingredients can irritate the scalp and other sensitive areas affected by alopecia areata, such as the skin around your eyebrows or beard. Health, 26 June 2025 Jake Paul’s everyday unscented face wash avoids irritating fragrances but is infused with vitamin B3 to help keep your skin hydrated. Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025 Work exposures: If you are frequently exposed to irritating chemicals or substances, your risk of dermatitis is higher. Carrie Madormo, Health, 29 June 2025 However, when choosing a hydrator, steer clear of thick, oil-rich products, which can be irritating to the torso area, stresses Dr. Bowe. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for irritate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritate
Verb
  • Perhaps Trump just wanted to annoy his counterparts, especially those on the continent.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 July 2025
  • But Cotton, annoyed by Hank’s indirectness and emotion, browbeats his son.
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Cruz has barely scratched the surface of his potential.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Take, for example, Soiree Miami Beach, a luxurious swimwear brand made with sparkly materials that don’t scratch, or Wanahat, a stylish hat brand founded by three Ecuadorian childhood friends.
    Rana Good, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • There’s something delicious about sipping lemonade after a dip in the pool, looking down from the balcony at the day-trippers all hot and bothered below.
    Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2025
  • That really bothers me more than anything else; that bothers me more than even being excluded.
    Max Gao, Variety, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Gently scrape away any hardened material with a butter knife.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
  • There are 616 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.
    Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Say your mother kept bugging you to change a bad habit.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Next season is when all the little things start to bug me.
    Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Trump has repeatedly pressed Powell publicly and privately to lower interest rates while chafing at the chairman’s linkage of the president’s gyrating trade levies to inflation and U.S. economic uncertainty.
    Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 19 June 2025
  • There was bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for McMaster, though some Democrats on the committee chafed at the Trump administration recently freezing funds, with pledges to eliminate the programs altogether.
    Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • There may be no animal that has been more revered and reviled, romanticized and persecuted, adopted and murdered than the coyote.
    Helen Whybrow July 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
  • Asylum seekers must prove their government is persecuting them or that they're being persecuted by someone who the government is unable or unwilling to stop.
    Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • His financial problems were aggravated by a nationwide economic downturn in 1873.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • Doyle also has two other convictions for narcotics possession, and in 2010 he was charged with armed home invasion and aggravated domestic battery stemming from an incident in Skokie.
    Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irritate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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