i
rri
tate
Third Person
irritates
Present Participle
irritating
Past Tense
irritated
Past Participle
irritated
1
to annoy someone, often over small matters
transitive
- The way he constantly interrupts conversations can really irritate people.
- The dog's persistent barking began to irritate the neighbors.
- The sound of his chewing gum irritates me.
- The loud music irritated her yesterday.
- The ongoing chatter is irritating her.
2
to cause discomfort or inflammation in a body part
transitive
- The soap irritated her skin, causing a rash.
- His eyes were irritated because of the dust in the air.
- The cold wind irritated the cut on his face.
- Wearing tight shoes all day can irritate your feet.
- The scratchy coat irritated her skin.
3
to trigger an active response from an organism, cell, or organ by stimulating it
transitive
- The injection irritated the immune system, causing it to release antibodies.
- The bacteria irritated the cells, triggering an inflammatory response.
- The plant’s defense mechanism was irritated when the insect bit it, releasing toxins.
- The heat irritated the sweat glands, making them produce more perspiration.
- The substance was known to irritate the lung tissue, leading to coughing.