- ir´ri|tat´ing|ly
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1. to make impatient or angry; annoy; provoke; vex: »
The boy's foolish questions irritated his mother. Flies irritate horses.
2. to make (a part of the body) more sensitive than is natural or normal: »Sunburn irritates the skin.
3. Biology. to stimulate (as an organ, muscle, or tissue) to respond: »A muscle contracts when it is irritated by an electric shock.
╂[< Latin irrītāre (with English -ate1) excite, provoke]–ir´ri|tat´ing|ly, adverb.–ir´ri|ta´tor, noun.Synonym Study 1 Irritate, exasperate, provoke mean to excite to impatience or anger. Irritate suggests annoying a person until he loses patience or flares up in anger: »Her untidiness irritates me.
Exasperate suggests annoying someone beyond endurance or self-control: »His constant cheating exasperates me.
Provoke suggests annoying someone into strong anger or disgust: »Their constant interruptions provoke me.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.