irk
irk — verb
1. to bother or irritate someone, especially through something that happens repeate
to bother or irritate someone, especially through something that happens repeatedly or continues for a long time
The constant noise from the construction work next door began to irk Sayaka.
direct object: noise irks person
What irks Ilan most about the app is how slowly it sends notifications.
wh-clause as subject: what irks [sb] is…
Charlotte found that her colleague's habit of interrupting others irked her deeply.
The way Obi's phone kept buzzing during the film irked everyone in the row.
It irks Reema when people arrive late without sending a quick message.
文法句型
[noun] irks [someone]
it irks [someone] when/that + clause
what irks [someone] is + noun/clause
用法筆記
Often appears with impersonal 'it' ('It irks me that…') or a wh-clause ('What irks me is…'). Less common in casual speech than 'annoy' — considered more formal or literary in tone.
常見錯誤
irk — noun
1. the state or quality of causing mild irritation, especially from something persi
the state or quality of causing mild irritation, especially from something persistent, nagging, or repeated
There is a certain irk about having to wait in long queues for basic services.
uncountable: 'a certain irk about'
The irk of dealing with repeated error messages made Darius reconsider his order.
the irk of + gerund
Tara heard the irk in her voice while explaining the procedure a third time.
There was an irk to the morning that Christopher could not quite explain.
- annoyance
more common, broader in meaning
- irritation
more common, slightly stronger
- vexation
more formal, less common
文法句型
the irk of + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Uncountable and almost always used with a definite or indefinite article ('the irk', 'an irk'). Refers to a diffuse sense of annoyance rather than a specific trigger — distinguish from noun sense 2, which names a concrete source.
2. a specific thing, habit, or situation that causes mild but persistent irritation
a specific thing, habit, or situation that causes mild but persistent irritation
Pim's biggest irk about the new office was the lack of natural light.
possessive + irk + about
One common irk for drivers on this road is the poorly timed traffic lights.
countable: 'a common irk for [group]'
Darius listed slow internet speed as his main irk with the hotel.
The constant email reminders were a small irk in an otherwise good week.
For Élise, the daily commute was an irk she had learned to accept.
文法句型
[possessive] irk
an/the irk + about/of
用法筆記
Countable but rarely pluralised ('irks' is extremely uncommon). Often appears after a possessive ('my biggest irk', 'his main irk') or with 'common' ('a common irk'). Distinguish from noun sense 1, which describes the feeling itself rather than the thing causing it.