irksome

[ urk-suhm ]
See synonyms for irksome on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. annoying; irritating; exasperating; tiresome: irksome restrictions.

  2. Obsolete. causing weariness or disgust.

Origin of irksome

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at irk, -some1

Other words from irksome

  • irk·some·ly, adverb
  • irk·some·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use irksome in a sentence

  • So Sunday passed irksomely, and everyone was glad when the next morning dawned in bright cheerfulness.

    The Revellers | Louis Tracy
  • How irksomely slow the days pass until the score reaches his winning-line of normal!

  • The more irksomely her captors held her, the more warmly would she remember him.

    Once Aboard The Lugger | Arthur Stuart-Menteth Hutchinson
  • Time passes irksomely with many of our passengers, and they often resort to odd expedients in order to wear away the weary hours.

    Round Cape Horn | Joseph Lamson
  • I find England irksomely restful and law-abiding after the Continent, but I'm glad of it for once.

    The Yeoman Adventurer | George W. Gough

British Dictionary definitions for irksome

irksome

/ (ˈɜːksəm) /


adjective
  1. causing vexation, annoyance, or boredom; troublesome or tedious

Derived forms of irksome

  • irksomely, adverb
  • irksomeness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012