Dictionary definition · irritate
verb
- cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations"Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"
- 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"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).