irritate
[ ir-i-teyt ]
/ ˈɪr ɪˌteɪt /
verb (used with object), ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing.
to excite to impatience or anger; annoy.
Physiology, Biology.
to excite (a living system) to some characteristic action or function.
Pathology.
to bring (a body part) to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.
verb (used without object), ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing.
to cause irritation or become irritated.
Origin of irritate
1525–35; < Latin
irrītātus, past participle of
irrītāre to arouse to anger, excite, aggravate, equivalent to
irritā- v. stem +
-tus past participle suffix
synonym study for irritate
1.
Irritate,
exasperate,
provoke mean to annoy or stir to anger. To
irritate is to excite to impatience or angry feeling, often of no great depth or duration:
to irritate by refusing to explain an action. To
exasperate is to irritate to a point where self-control is threatened or lost:
to exasperate by continual delays and excuses. To
provoke is to stir to a sudden, strong feeling of resentful anger as by unwarrantable acts or wanton annoyance:
to tease and provoke an animal until it attacks.
OTHER WORDS FROM irritate
ir·ri·ta·tor, nounWords nearby irritate
Example sentences from the Web for irritate
British Dictionary definitions for irritate
irritate
/ (ˈɪrɪˌteɪt) /
verb
to annoy or anger (someone)
(tr) biology
to stimulate (an organism or part) to respond in a characteristic manner
(tr) pathol
to cause (a bodily organ or part) to become excessively stimulated, resulting in inflammation, tenderness, etc
Derived forms of irritate
irritator, nounWord Origin for irritate
C16: from Latin
irrītāre to provoke, exasperate