Synonyms for irk
Most common
Definitions
- v. 1
to irritate; annoy; bother
It irks me doing all this work and have someone wreck it.
Forms
- Past participle
- irked
e.g. irked → annoyed, irritated, vexed, riled…
Example sentences
- irritate What kind of things does Tom do that irritate you?
- aggravate The taunts at the end of the match failed to aggravate Tom.
- exasperate Sorry, I didn't mean to exasperate you with my endless questions.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| irk | steady | |
| irritate | rising | |
| aggravate | falling | |
| rile | rising | |
| exasperate | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- vex1
- 4 letters
- jade1, hump1, gall1, rile1, roil1
- 5 letters
- devil2, tease1, weary2, annoy2, pique1, peeve1
- 6 letters
- bother2, molest2
- 7 letters
- trouble2, provoke2, bedevil3
- 8 letters
- irritate3
- 9 letters
- aggravate3
- 10 letters
- exasperate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (devil2 = 2 syllables).