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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.