irritative

[ ir-i-tey-tiv ]

adjective

1. serving or tending to irritate.
2. Pathology. characterized or produced by irritation of some body part:

   an irritative fever.

Other Words From

• irri·tative·ness noun
• un·irri·tative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of irritative¹

First recorded in 1680–90; irritate + -ive

Example Sentences

The Ancash State regional health office said 140 people were treated for “irritative symptoms caused by the inhalation of toxins” after a pipeline carrying the concentrate under high pressure burst open in their community.

From New York Times

These attacks are usually spoken of as recrudescences of fever, and do not differ materially from attacks of irritative fever occurring under other circumstances.

From Project Gutenberg

In the same way treatment of irritative or degenerative conditions in the throat and larynx, as well as in the nose, may be considered directly curative.

From Project Gutenberg

That an irritative lesion in the line of the centripetal tracts can influence cortical life is shown by thalamus lesions in which hallucinations are sometimes present.

From Project Gutenberg

To this satisfactory result must be added the irritative effect on enemy morale of the knowledge that whenever the weather was fine our machines hummed overhead, ready to molest and be molested.

From Project Gutenberg