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irritar

ee-ree-TAR/iriˈtaɾ/

“irritar” means “to annoy” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to annoy, to irritate

Also: to get on someone's nerves
VerbA2regular ar
General
A child making a loud noise while a person nearby covers their ears with a frustrated expression.
gerundirritando
past Participleirritado
infinitiveirritar

📝 In Action

Ese ruido constante me irrita mucho.

A2

That constant noise annoys me a lot.

No lo digas más, solo vas a irritar a tu padre.

B1

Don't say it anymore; you're only going to make your father angry.

Me irrita que la gente llegue tarde.

B1

It annoys me when people arrive late.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • irritar profundamente – to annoy deeply
  • fácil de irritar – easy to annoy

Idioms & Expressions

  • irritar los nervios – to get on someone's nerves

to irritate, to inflame

Also: to chafe
VerbB1regular ar
A close up of a person's arm showing a patch of red, bumpy skin.
gerundirritando
past Participleirritado
infinitiveirritar

📝 In Action

El cloro de la piscina me irrita los ojos.

B1

The chlorine in the pool irritates my eyes.

Esta crema puede irritar la piel sensible.

B1

This cream can irritate sensitive skin.

Si te rascas mucho, te vas a irritar la herida.

B2

If you scratch a lot, you're going to inflame the wound.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inflamar (to inflame)
  • escocer (to sting/smart)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • irritar la piel – to irritate the skin
  • irritar la garganta – to irritate the throat

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesirritaran
yoirritara
túirritaras
vosotrosirritarais
nosotrosirritáramos
él/ella/ustedirritara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesirriten
yoirrite
túirrites
vosotrosirritéis
nosotrosirritemos
él/ella/ustedirrite

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesirritaron
yoirrité
túirritaste
vosotrosirritasteis
nosotrosirritamos
él/ella/ustedirritó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesirritaban
yoirritaba
túirritabas
vosotrosirritabais
nosotrosirritábamos
él/ella/ustedirritaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesirritan
yoirrito
túirritas
vosotrosirritáis
nosotrosirritamos
él/ella/ustedirrita
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "irritar" in Spanish:

to annoy→to chafe→to inflame→to irritate→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: irritar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence refers to a physical reaction?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
irritación(irritation) — Noun
irritable(irritable) — Adjective
irritante(irritating) — Adjective
irritado(irritated) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'irritare', which meant to provoke, stimulate, or stir up.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: irritateFrench: irriter

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'irritar' always mean 'to make angry'?

Not always. It can mean a mild annoyance or a physical reaction like red skin or itchy eyes.

Is 'irritar' a regular verb?

Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar.

Can I use 'irritar' to describe a person?

You would usually use the adjective 'irritante' (irritating) or 'irritable' (moody/easy to annoy) for a person.