as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
the whining child was a constant irritant to his long-suffering parents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irritant
Chronic bronchitis caused by environmental irritants, for instance, is not contagious.
—
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
People who are repeatedly exposed to respiratory irritants, like smoking, are most at risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
—Helen Carefoot, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2025
Designed with sensitive skin in mind, this lippie is free from fragrance, essential oils, flavor and other common irritants.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Gentle, cleansing baths can help ease skin irritation and clear pollen and other irritants from fur as well.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritant
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
People who are repeatedly exposed to respiratory irritants, like smoking, are most at risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
—Helen Carefoot, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2025
Designed with sensitive skin in mind, this lippie is free from fragrance, essential oils, flavor and other common irritants.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Gentle, cleansing baths can help ease skin irritation and clear pollen and other irritants from fur as well.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irritant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritant
Noun
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More severe cases of salmonellosis may include a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and in some cases may become fatal.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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Its stern warnings are scary and uncomfortable--the headaches, indigestion, muscle spasms, body aches, clenched teeth or knots in your chest.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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The velocity of misinformation isn’t just a nuisance.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Eating flaxseed might even ease menopausal symptoms, which—among its many other nuisances—can often include GI issues.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The early part of the season indicated Arizona would indeed be a thorn in the side of the Dodgers and one of the best teams in the NL.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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The law has been a thorn in the side of the Trump administration’s campaign to ramp up deportations, which the president has cast as an effort to rid the country of criminals despite also targeting immigrants with no prior convictions.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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What a Lee presidency might look like Yoon’s martial law decree had been in part fueled by his frustration over a months-long political stalemate, with Lee’s Democratic Party blocking the president from moving forward with many of his campaign promises and policies.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
4 June 2025
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Moments before allegedly opening fire, Zhao vented his frustrations at a supervisor and a co-worker whom Zhao blamed for a collision between his forklift and a bulldozer, prosecutors claim.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Shout-out to back-seat drivers, who are an annoyance 99 percent of the time but lifesavers for that other one percent.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 May 2025
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Many users aren’t interested in a touch screen for general computing, so the reflection annoyances aren’t worth the trade-off to plenty of shoppers.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irritant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritant. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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