Standard Lemma guide

irksome

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ûrk'səm rhotic
  • /ˈɜɹksəm/ rhotic
  • /ˈɜːksəm/ non-rhotic
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)ksəm
  • CMU ARPABET: ER1 K S AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Marked by irritation or annoyance; disagreeable; troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He has this irksome habit of racing up to red lights, so he has to brake heavily.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bothersome, annoying, irritating, wearisome, tedious, drippy, drudgerous, irksome, longsome, monotonous, torporific, wearing, tiresome

Antonyms: pleasant, agreeable, enjoyable

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness- Edmund Burke- Mark Twain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a boring evening with uninteresting people
  • the deadening effect of some routine tasks
  • a dull play
  • his competent but dull performance
  • a ho-hum speaker who couldn't capture their attention
  • what an irksome task the writing of long letters is
  • tedious days on the train
  • the tiresome chirping of a cricket
  • other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boring, deadening, dull, ho-hum, slow, tedious, tiresome, wearisome

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English irkesome, irksum, equivalent to irk + -some, or perhaps continuing (in altered form) from Old English weorcsum (“painful, hurtful”).

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: տաղտուկ (taġtuk) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Bulgarian: досаден (dosaden) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Bulgarian: неприятен (neprijaten) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Dutch: vervelend — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Finnish: hankala — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • French: fastidieux — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Georgian: თავმომაბეზრებელი (tavmomabezrebeli) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Georgian: გამაღიზიანებელი (gamaɣizianebeli) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Georgian: გასაბრაზებელი (gasabrazebeli) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Georgian: მომაბეზრებელი (momabezrebeli) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Greek: ενοχλητικός (enochlitikós) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Ancient Greek: ὀχληρός (okhlērós) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Irish: liosta — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Latin: molestus — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Latin: onerōsus — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Māori: mākatikati — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Māori: hīrawerawe — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Romanian: enervant — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Romanian: supărător — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Romanian: plictisitor — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Romanian: fastidios — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Spanish: fastidioso — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Spanish: enfadoso — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Thai: น่ารําคาญ (nâa-ram-kaan) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Thai: น่าเบื่อ (nâa-bʉ̀ʉa) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Ukrainian: набридливий (nabrydlyvyj) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Ukrainian: дратівливий (drativlyvyj) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious
  • Ukrainian: надокучливий (nadokučlyvyj) — disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious