- annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing - causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito"; "swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong"
Antonym: agreeable (indirect, via disagreeable)
- irritating, irritative - (used of physical stimuli) serving to stimulate or excite; "an irritative agent"
Antonym: depressant (indirect, via stimulative)
- irritating, painful - causing physical discomfort; "bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful"
Antonyms: comfortable, comfy (indirect, via uncomfortable)
- annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devil - cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves"
--1 is one way to displease
Sample sentences:Derived forms: noun irritation1, noun irritation2, noun irritation7, noun irritation6, noun irritant1
The bad news will irritate him
The performance is likely to irritate Sue
- irritate - excite to an abnormal condition, of chafe or inflame; "Aspirin irritates my stomach"
--2 is one way to worsen, aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate
Antonyms: soothe
Sample sentences:Derived forms: noun irritation3, noun irritation5
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
- irritate - 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"
--3 is one way to stimulate, excite
Sample sentence:Derived form: noun irritation4
Something ----s something