IRRITATE • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Irritate

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/ˈɪrɪtˌeɪt/ Listen

verb

Irritate v. t. To render null and void. (R.)

Irritate v. t. (past & past part. irritated; pres. part. irritating)

1.

To increase the action or violence of; to heighten excitement in; to intensify; to stimulate. "Cold maketh the spirits vigorous and irritateth them."

2.

To excite anger or displeasure in; to provoke; to tease; to exasperate; to annoy; to vex; as, the insolence of a tyrant irritates his subjects. "Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god: Prevent the rage of him who reigns above."

3.

(Physiol.) To produce irritation in; to stimulate; to cause to contract. See Irritation, n., 2.

4.

(Med.) To make morbidly excitable, or oversensitive; to fret; as, the skin is irritated by friction; to irritate a wound by a coarse bandage.

Synonyms: To fret; inflame; excite; provoke; tease; vex; exasperate; anger; incense; enrage. To Irritate, Provoke, Exasperate. These words express different stages of excited or angry feeling. Irritate denotes an excitement of quick and slightly angry feeling which is only momentary; as, irritated by a hasty remark. To provoke implies the awakening of some open expression of decided anger; as, a provoking insult. Exasperate denotes a provoking of anger at something unendurable. Whatever comes across our feelings irritates; whatever excites anger provokes; whatever raises anger to a high point exasperates. "Susceptible and nervous people are most easily irritated; proud people are quickly provoked; hot and fiery people are soonest exasperated."

adjective

Irritate adj. Excited; heightened. (Obs.)

See images of 'Irritate'

Etymology of 'Irritate'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Irritate" Quotes from Famous Books

... in the foreground, the eye will find it at once, but the care of the artist should even then be exercised to avoid lines which, though they could not block, might at least irritate one's direct vision ...

— Pictorial Composition and the Critical Judgment of Pictures • Henry Rankin Poore

... man turned reproachfully towards Madame Langai. "Why did you irritate him when he was mad enough already?" he cried. "What will you gain by his death? He has a son who will inherit everything, you know. Yes, everything will belong ...

— The Poor Plutocrats • Maurus Jokai

... Rabelais, (3) a remark about the Montreal dinner, touched with an almost invisible satire, and, (4) a remark about refusal of Canadian copyright, not complimentary, but not necessarily malicious; and of course adverse criticism which is not malicious is a thing which none but fools irritate themselves about. ...

— Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete - The Personal And Literary Life Of Samuel Langhorne Clemens • Albert Bigelow Paine

... earnestly and constantly sought to find a reason that could possibly irritate an ignorant and exasperated peasant to the point of taking the life of this man, I have found none. He was unhappily addicted to drink, it is said, but he must have had a large majority of the inhabitants of Ireland of all creeds and classes on the same side with him in this, to judge ...

— The Letters of "Norah" on her Tour Through Ireland • Margaret Dixon McDougall

... WHICH WEAKEN DESIRE.—All kinds of food which cause dyspepsia or bring on constipation, diarrhoea, or irritate the bowels, alcoholic beverages, or any indigestible compound, has the tendency to weaken the sexual power. Drunkards and tipplers suffer early loss of vitality. Beer drinking has a tendency to irritate the stomach and to that extent affects the ...

— Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners • B.G. Jefferis

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