irritate

Meanings

• cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
  • "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves"
• excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame
  • "Aspirin irritates my stomach"
• excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus
  • "irritate the glands of a leaf"

Synonyms

annoy, bother, chafe, devil, get at, get to, gravel, nark, nettle, rag, rile, vex