irritate meaning and definition

IRRITATE verb

Definition of irritate (verb)

1. cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
   • "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves"
   • synonyms: annoy, bother, chafe, devil, get at, get to, gravel, nark, nettle, rag, rile, vex
2. excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame
   • "Aspirin irritates my stomach"
   • antonym: soothe
3. excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus
   • "irritate the glands of a leaf"