Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

irritate

ir.ri.tate \'ir-*-.ta-t\ vb [L irritatus, pp. of irritare] 1: to excite 
   impatience, anger, or displeasure in : ANNOY  2: to induce irritability in 
   or of  : to cause or induce displeasure or irritationMRILE, PEEVE: IRRITATE 
   implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from 
   impatience to rage; EXASPERATE suggests galling annoyance or vexation and 
   the arousing of extreme impatience; NETTLE suggests a light stinging or 
   piquing; PROVOKE implies an arousing of strong annoyance or vexation that 
   may excite to action; ROIL or RILE implies inducing an angry or resentful 
   agitation; PEEVE suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous 
   irritation SYN syn EXASPERATE, NETTLE, PROVOKE, ROIL or (