English verb: irritate | |||
1. | irritate (emotion) cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations | ||
Samples | Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me. It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves. | ||
Examples | The bad news will irritate him, The performance is likely to irritate Sue | ||
Synonyms | annoy, bother, chafe, devil, get at, get to, gravel, nark, nettle, rag, rile, vex | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | displease | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | antagonise, antagonize, beset, chevvy, chevy, chivvy, chivy, eat into, fret, fret, get, get under one's skin, grate, harass, harry, hassle, molest, peeve, plague, provoke, rankle, ruffle | ||
Verb group | chafe | ||
2. | irritate (body) excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame | ||
Samples | Aspirin irritates my stomach. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate, worsen | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | chafe, fret, gall, itch, rub, scratch | ||
Antonyms | soothe | ||
3. | irritate (change) excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus | ||
Samples | Irritate the glands of a leaf. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | excite, stimulate | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | pinch, vellicate | ||
Domain category | physiology | ||