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Cousins of discomfort: comparing "annoying" vs "irritating"
Lloyd Cooper 30/09/2024, 17:22English.me team member
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?
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.
- The itchy sweater made the entire day irritating.
- Listening to the same song repeatedly became irritating after a while.
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