irritate + person
Directly affecting someone
Use irritate directly with the person or group affected.
Constant interruptions irritate me.
Irritate by or irritate with?
Irritate is usually used directly with an object: something irritates someone. After adjective forms, by is more common than with.
Quick answer
How is irritate normally used?
The verb irritate usually does not need a preposition before the person affected. In passive and adjective structures, by is common for the cause. With can appear in expressions like irritated with someone.
The noise irritated the neighbours.
She was irritated by the delay.
He became irritated with his assistant.
She was irritated by the delay.
He became irritated with his assistant.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
be irritated by + cause
Giving the reason for irritation
By introduces the thing that causes irritation.
We were irritated by the loud music.
be irritated with + person
Feeling annoyed with someone
With is common when the irritation is directed toward a person.
She was irritated with her brother.
find something irritating
Using the adjective irritating
Irritating describes something that causes annoyance.
I find his comments irritating.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
irritate by
The audience was irritated by the technical problems.
By is natural in passive or adjective structures showing the cause.
irritate with
She was irritated with her colleague after the meeting.
With is common when referring to the person causing annoyance.
irritate + object
That sound irritates me.
The most direct and common verb pattern has no preposition.
annoyed by
They were annoyed by the constant emails.
A close alternative with similar meaning.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Adding a preposition after active irritate
The active verb usually takes a direct object.
✕ The noise irritated by me. ✓ The noise irritated me.Using with for things instead of people
By is usually clearer for causes or situations.
✕ We were irritated with the delay. ✓ We were irritated by the delay.Confusing irritate and irritated
Use irritated for feelings and irritating for causes.
✕ I am irritate by the smell. ✓ I am irritated by the smell.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The flashing lights irritated ___ during the show.
2. She was irritated ___ the long wait.
3. He was irritated ___ his teammate.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a preposition after irritate?
Usually no. The verb commonly takes a direct object, as in The noise irritated me.
When do we use irritated by?
Use irritated by to mention the cause of annoyance.
Can irritated with be correct?
Yes. It is common when talking about annoyance with a person.
Related preposition guides
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