Verb: irritate 'i-ru,teyt
- Cause annoyance, especially by persistent minor irritations
"His constant interruptions irritate the entire team";
- annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at [informal], rile, nark [Brit, slang], nettle, gravel [US], vex, chafe [archaic], devil, tick off [informal], roil [N. Amer]
- Excite to an abnormal condition,, chafe or inflame
"Aspirin irritates my stomach"
- (physiology) excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus
"irritate the glands of a leaf"
Derived forms: irritated, irritates, irritating
Type of: aggravate, displease, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, stimulate, worsen
Antonym: soothe
Encyclopedia: Irritate