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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Irritate \Ir"ri*tate\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Irritated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Irritating}.] [L. irritatus, p. p. of irritare. Of doubtful origin.]
1. To increase the action or violence of; to heighten excitement in; to intensify; to stimulate.
Cold maketh the spirits vigorous and irritateth them. --Bacon.
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.
Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god: Prevent the rage of him who reigns above. --Pope.
3. (Physiol.) To produce irritation in; to stimulate; to cause to contract. See {Irritation}, noun, 2.
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.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
irritating \irritating\ adjective
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
adjective
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
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