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   irritate

   /ˈɪrɪteɪt/

   verb

   • 1. make (someone) annoyed or a little angry: "his tone irritated her" Similar annoyvexmake angrymake crossangerexasperatebotherirkgallpiqueput outdispleaseget/put someone's back upantagonizeget on someone's nervesrub up the wrong waytry someone's patienceruffleruffle someone's feathersmake someone's hackles riseraise someone's hacklesenrageinfuriatemaddenincensemake someone's blood boildrive to distractiongoadprovokeinformal:aggravatepeevehasslemiffrilenettleneedlegetget tobughack offget under someone's skinget in someone's hairget someone's goatrattle someone's cageget someone's dander updrive mad/crazydrive round the benddrive up the walldrive bananasmake someone see redwind upnarkget acrossget on someone's wickdrive round the twistget up someone's noseput someone's nose out of jointgive someone the humptee offtick offburn uprankleridegravelbum outget on someone's titsrarkinformal, dated:give someone the pipvulgar slang:piss offrare:exacerbatehumpraspOpposite pacify
   • 2. cause inflammation or other discomfort in (a part of the body): "sprays and polishes can irritate dry, sensitive skin" Similar inflameaggravatehurtpainchafeabradefretgallrub painfullyrub againstscratchraspscrapegrazegraterare:excoriateOpposite soothe
   • ▪ stimulate (an organism, cell, or organ) to produce an active response.

   Word Origin mid 16th century (in the sense ‘excite, provoke’): from Latin irritat- ‘irritated’, from the verb irritare.

   Derivatives

   • 1. irritative adjective
   • 2. irritator noun

   Scrabble Points: 8

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