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irritate

[ir-i-teyt]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object)

to excite to impatience or anger; annoy.

Physiology, Biology. to excite (a living system) to some characteristic action or function.

Pathology. to bring (a body part) to an abnormally excited or sensitive condition.

verb (used without object)

to cause irritation or become irritated.

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Irritate is a GRE word you need to know.

So is irresistible. Does it mean:

deprived of reason

incapable of being resisted or withstood

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Origin:
1525–35; < Latin irrītātus, past participle of irrītāre to arouse to anger, excite, aggravate, equivalent to irritā- v. stem + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

ir·ri·ta·tor, noun

Can be confused: aggravate, annoy, intensify, irritate, worsen (see usage note at aggravate; see synonym note at the current entry).

Synonyms
1. vex, chafe, fret, gall; nettle, ruffle, pique; incense, enrage, infuriate, inflame. Irritate, exasperate, provoke mean to annoy or stir to anger. To irritate is to excite to impatience or angry feeling, often of no great depth or duration: to irritate by refusing to explain an action. To exasperate is to irritate to a point where self-control is threatened or lost: to exasperate by continual delays and excuses. To provoke is to stir to a sudden, strong feeling of resentful anger as by unwarrantable acts or wanton annoyance: to tease and provoke an animal until it attacks.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To irritate

Example Sentences

The increased force of rushing blood can irritate the linings of her arteries, causing plaque to form.

These votes will have no legal standing but they do have the power to irritate the government.

But children often resist the patch, which can irritate the skin and elicit teasing from their peers.

EXPAND

The increased force of rushing blood can irritate the linings of her arteries, causing plaque to form.

These votes will have no legal standing but they do have the power to irritate the government.

But children often resist the patch, which can irritate the skin and elicit teasing from their peers.

Handle pods carefully, since they contain short, stiff fibers that can irritate skin and eyes add to my plant list.

It's not hard to irritate people on a social media site, of course.

Govil said, nicotine gums can irritate and even cause ulcers in the mouth.

Ultimately, smart radios could do away with the standards wars that bedevil the wireless industry and so irritate users.

Aspirin may irritate the stomach and alcohol can amplify the toxic effects of acetaminophen on the liver.

Nor does it irritate the user with an incessant buzzing.

While they may be appreciated by someone washing the dishes, they can irritate those.

Other activists will be encouraged to try to irritate him into a more substantial blunder.

The odorless chemical can also severely irritate the eyes or skin if it comes in contact with either.

It all looks good until you see it up close and notice the small flaws that will irritate you over time.

Heavy smoking can irritate the tongue and make it painful.

Basic point is if you irritate the party, anything can happen to you.

The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several.

If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him.

Wear goggles and rubber gloves when applying this mixture because it can irritate the skin.

He radiated a fastidious sleekness that can only irritate.

Hydroquinone is known to irritate some skin and to make all skin more sensitive to sunlight, however.

Julian would irritate our teacher by refusing to follow the detailed instructions he gave us for our art projects.

It can irritate eyes and lungs and contribute to asthma and increased death rates in the elderly and infirm.

The sun would irritate her skin but she couldn't bear the thought of sleeves brushing against her arms.

Avoid rubbing the eyes, because this can irritate them more.

But antiperspirants can irritate the skin, and iontophoresis treatments can take up to a half-hour each.

Like a disquieting intellectual conviction, it nags but fails to irritate.

Occasionally, inhaled chemicals that irritate the lungs can cause pneumonia.

Improper brushing and flossing technique may actually irritate or traumatize the gum tissue.

However, he said, oil produced from the plants contains toxic agents that irritate skin.

Some of the products irritate or even sting the lips.

Still, the accommodations are lovely enough that the clichés don't irritate.

These drugs are difficult for some people to take because they can irritate the esophagus.

The bacteria can weaken the protective coating of the stomach, allowing digestive juices to irritate the sensitive stomach lining.

When the nose or sinuses become infected, drainage can run down the back of the throat and irritate it, especially at night.

Some swear by black coffee, but that also aggravates dehydration and may irritate the stomach.

The show is clearly designed to attract spectators, but too much attention can irritate the neighbors.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

irritate (ˈɪrɪˌteɪt)

—vb
1.	to annoy or anger (someone)
2.	(tr) biology to stimulate (an organism or part) to respond in a characteristic manner
3.	(tr) pathol to cause (a bodily organ or part) to become excessively stimulated, resulting in inflammation, tenderness, etc

[C16: from Latin irrītāre to provoke, exasperate]

'irritator

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

irritate

1530s, from L. irritatus, from pp. stem of irritare "excite, provoke." An earlier verb form was irrite (mid-15c.), from O.Fr. irriter.

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irritate

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