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Cousins of discomfort: comparing "annoying" vs "irritating"

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 30/09/2024, 17:22

English.me team member

Annoying and irritating. What's the difference?

What is similar?

Both words refer to causing a feeling of discomfort or bother.

What is different?

Annoying often implies a milder, more persistent nuisance, while irritating can suggest a stronger or more immediate reaction.

Which one is more common?

Internet search results for annoying) and irritating

Examples of usage

Annoying

The constant buzzing of the fly was quite annoying.
Her habit of tapping her pen was annoying everyone in the meeting.

Irritating

The itchy sweater made the entire day irritating.
Listening to the same song repeatedly became irritating after a while.

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