irritates

VERB

upset, anger

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aggravate annoy bother confuse disturb enrage exasperate gall incense inflame infuriate irk offend peeve provoke rankle rattle rile sour vex

STRONG

abrade affront bug burn chafe distemper fret get grate harass madden needle nettle pain pester pique rasp roil ruffle try

WEAK

drive up the wall get on nerves get under skin put out rub the wrong way

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid alleviate appease calm comfort delight encourage help make happy order organize pacify placate please soothe

STRONG

assist assuage mollify

VERB

hurt, chafe

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aggravate inflame sting

STRONG

burn erupt fret intensify itch pain redden rub sensitize sharpen swell

Antonyms

STRONGEST

alleviate appease soothe

STRONG

aid calm help please

WEAK

assist assuage delight

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

irritates

But when it goes away, so do our nightly doses of Colbert’s affable clowning, the kind that irritates thin-skinned despots in a way other comics can’t quite match.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

That tension with boxing's old guard irritates Paul.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

This irritates the Chinese authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing to no end.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025

Traditional oral iron supplements can help, but they often leave behind unabsorbed iron that irritates the digestive tract and triggers inflammation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2025

Everything irritates me, and cheery people just make that worse.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen