irritation

I1R1R1I1T1A1T1I1O1N1
UK/ˌɪɹ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/US/ˌɪɹ.əˈteɪ.ʃən//ˌiɹ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

noun

The act of irritating or annoying.

“What irritation causes you to be so moody?”

Less commonScrabble 10

Meanings

nounirritation (countable and uncountable, plural irritations)

plural irritations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of irritating or annoying.

    What irritation causes you to be so moody?

  2. countableuncountableThe state of being irritated.

    CNN spoke recently with several Conyers residents who said they still have blurry vision, shortness of breath, throat irritation or chronic headaches since the chemical plant fire.

    2024 November 24, Chris Boyette, “Investigators release update on BioLab chemical plant fire probe”, in CNN, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2025
    2 more examples

    It has already been established that the crew was competent and qualified for operation of AS66. With the exception of some overtones of irritation about the manner in which another aircraft, N799Y, affected the flight's progress into the Juneau area, the recorded cockpit conversation, in general, reflects a relaxed but businesslike atmosphere.

    1972 October 13, National Transportation Safety Board, “2.1 Analysis”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Alaska Airlines, Inc., Boeing 727, N2969G, Near Juneau, Alaska, September 4, 1971, archived from the original on 31 Aug 2024, page 31

    Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.

    2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 172
  3. countableuncountableA thing or person that annoys.

    Synonyms: pain in the neck

  4. countableuncountablemedicineA state of inflammation or of painful reaction to cell or tissue damage.
  5. countableuncountableA condition of morbid excitability or oversensitiveness of an organ or part of the body; a state in which the application of ordinary stimuli produces pain or excessive or vitiated action.

    Hip pain is a common complaint in children and may indicate a very mild irritation in the hip joint or may be the symptom of a very severe abnormality

    1975, Richard I. Feinbloom, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Child Health Encyclopedia: The Complete Guide for Parents

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA thing or person that annoys.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

Broader
psychological statepsychological conditionmental state

nouna sudden outburst of anger

nounthe neural or electrical arousal of an organ or muscle or gland

Broader

nounan uncomfortable feeling of mental painfulness or distress

noununfriendly behavior that causes anger or resentment

Broader

nounthe act of troubling or annoying someone

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinirrītātiō
  2. Middle Frenchirritation
  3. Englishirritation

Borrowed from Middle French irritation, from Latin irrītātiō, from irrītāre (“to excite”). By surface analysis, irritate + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀγανάκτησις, ἀγανάκτησις
  • ἀγανάκτησις (aganáktēsis)the act of irritating
  • ἀγανάκτησις (aganáktēsis)the act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
Bulgarian раздразнение, възбуждане
  • раздразнение (razdraznenie)the act of irritating
  • възбуждане (văzbuždane)the act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • дразнение (draznenie)the act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • чувствителност (čuvstvitelnost)oversensitiveness of part of the body
Catalan irritació
  • irritacióthe act of irritating
Danish irritation, irritation
  • irritationthe act of irritating
  • irritationoversensitiveness of part of the body
Esperanto agaco
  • agacothe act of irritating
Finnish ärsytys, ärsytys
  • ärsytysthe act of irritating
  • ärsytysthe act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • ärsyttäminenthe act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
French irritation
  • irritationthe act of irritating
German Ärger, Irritation
  • Ärgerthe act of irritating
  • Irritationthe act of irritating
  • Verärgerungthe act of irritating
  • Reizungthe act of irritating
  • Irritationthe act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • Irritationoversensitiveness of part of the body
Greek ερεθισμός, ερεθισμός
  • ερεθισμός (erethismós)the act of irritating
  • ερεθισμός (erethismós)the act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • εκνευρισμός (eknevrismós)oversensitiveness of part of the body
Irish corraí
  • corraíthe act of irritating
Japanese 苛立ち
  • 苛立ち (iradachi)the act of irritating
Latin molestia
  • molestiathe act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
Māori māngeongeo, kūrakuraku
  • māngeongeothe act of irritating
  • kūrakurakuthe act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • māngeongeooversensitiveness of part of the body
Norwegian Bokmål irritasjon, irritasjon
  • irritasjonthe act of irritating
  • irritasjonoversensitiveness of part of the body
Polish irytacja
  • irytacjathe act of irritating
Romanian iritare, iritație
  • iritarethe act of irritating
  • iritațieoversensitiveness of part of the body
Russian раздраже́ние, возбужде́ние
  • раздраже́ние (razdražénije)the act of irritating
  • возбужде́ние (vozbuždénije)the act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • раздраже́ние (razdražénije)oversensitiveness of part of the body
Spanish irritación
  • irritaciónthe act of irritating
Turkish iritasyon, irkilme
  • iritasyonthe act of irritating
  • irkilmethe act of irritating
  • öfkethe act of irritating
  • iritasyonthe act of exciting, or the condition of being excited to action, by stimulation
  • iritasyonoversensitiveness of part of the body
  • irkilmeoversensitiveness of part of the body

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with irritation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

irritation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irritation

MLA

“irritation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irritation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “irritation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irritation.

Source: irritation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.