Irritate - Definition

v 1: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor
irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers
me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after
she leaves" [syn: annoy, rag, get to, bother, get
at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex,
chafe, devil]
2: excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame;
"Aspirin irritates my stomach" [ant: soothe]
3: 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"