1. (

• 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" ;

2. (

• irritate

) excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame; "Aspirin irritates my stomach" ;

3. (

• 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" ;

1. (

• 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" ;

2. (

• irritating ,
• irritative

) (used of physical stimuli) serving to stimulate or excite; "an irritative agent" ;

3. (

• irritating ,
• painful

) causing physical discomfort; "bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful" ;