Irritating

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Irritate \Ir"ri*tate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Irritated}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Irritating}.] [L. irritatus, p. p. of irritare. Of
     doubtful origin.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. To increase the action or violence of; to heighten
        excitement in; to intensify; to stimulate.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              Cold maketh the spirits vigorous and irritateth
              them.                                 --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To excite anger or displeasure in; to provoke; to tease;
        to exasperate; to annoy; to vex; as, the insolence of a
        tyrant irritates his subjects.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god:
              Prevent the rage of him who reigns above. --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Physiol.) To produce irritation in; to stimulate; to
        cause to contract. See {Irritation}, n., 2.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Med.) To make morbidly excitable, or oversensitive; to
        fret; as, the skin is irritated by friction; to irritate a
        wound by a coarse bandage.
  
     Syn: To fret; inflame; excite; provoke; tease; vex;
          exasperate; anger; incense; enrage.
  
     Usage: To {Irritate}, {Provoke}, {Exasperate}. These words
            express different stages of excited or angry feeling.
            Irritate denotes an excitement of quick and slightly
            angry feeling which is only momentary; as, irritated
            by a hasty remark. To provoke implies the awakening of
            some open expression of decided anger; as, a provoking
            insult. Exasperate denotes a provoking of anger at
            something unendurable. Whatever comes across our
            feelings irritates; whatever excites anger provokes;
            whatever raises anger to a high point exasperates.
            "Susceptible and nervous people are most easily
            irritated; proud people are quickly provoked; hot and
            fiery people are soonest exasperated." --Crabb.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  irritating \irritating\ adj.
     1. causing annoyance.
  
     Syn: annoying, galling, chafing, nettlesome, pesky,
          pestiferous, pestilent, plaguy, plaguey, teasing,
          vexatious, vexing.
          [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
  
     2. causing irritation of living tissue; -- used of physical
        stimuli.
  
     Syn: irritant, irritative.
          [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
  
     3. causing pain or physical discomfort; as, an irritating
        burr under his stocking.
  
     Syn: painful.
          [WordNet 1.5]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  irritating
       adj 1: 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" [syn: {annoying}, {bothersome},
               {galling}, {nettlesome}, {pesky}, {pestering}, {pestiferous},
               {plaguy}, {plaguey}, {teasing}, {vexatious}, {vexing}]
       2: (used of physical stimuli) serving to stimulate or excite;
          "an irritative agent" [syn: {irritative}]
       3: causing physical discomfort; "bites of black flies are more
          than irritating; they can be very painful" [syn: {painful}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  69 Moby Thesaurus words for "irritating":
     acerbic, acid, acrid, aggravating, aggravative, annoying, asperous,
     astringent, biting, bitter, bothering, bothersome, caustic,
     chafing, contentious, cutting, disturbing, escharotic,
     exasperating, exasperative, fretting, galling, grating, grinding,
     harassing, harsh, importunate, importune, irking, irksome,
     irritant, irritative, keen, mordant, nose-tickling, penetrating,
     pesky, pestering, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, piercing,
     piquant, plaguesome, plaguey, plaguing, poignant, provocative,
     provoking, pungent, rasping, rough, scratchy, severe, sharp, sour,
     stinging, teasing, tiresome, tormenting, trenchant, troublesome,
     troubling, vexatious, vexing, vitriolic, wearisome, worrisome,
     worrying