Irksome   (pronounced uhrk-sum) adjective


Definition
annoying; tending to irk or make weary; irritating or tiresome.

Main Example

  • The news that Osama bin Laden is still alive, despite the intense bombing of Tora Bora and other al Qaeda hideouts in Afghanistan, is irksome. It means this rabid U.S.-hater will continue to exhort his followers to kill thousands of innocent Americans.

    Workplace Examples

  • It's about time we did something about the pages and pages of fine print in our purchase orders. Several vendors have complained to me about how irksome a read our P.O.s are.

  • An issue that I am finding increasingly irksome--and one that is beginning to get under my skin--is the Middle East conflict which has dominated radio and TV news headlines for as long as I can remember. Week after week, year after year, the events on that small strip of land between Lebanon and Egypt have been elbowing aside news from the rest of the world.

    Other Examples

  • after repeated instances of frustration when collecting inputs from an adjoining department, your commenting to a colleague: "Dealing with these guys is really irksome. Any time I request information, they give me the runaround."

  • many Americans doing their best to avoid flying because of the irksome security checks, the irksome restrictions on what sort of items you are allowed in your carry-on baggage, and the irksome flight delays

  • the manager of a consumer electronics specialty store complaining about the irksome behavior of customers who pick his staff's brains about product features and then promptly go to a Wal-Mart or Best Buy to make their purchase

    © 2002 V.J. Singal

    This Month's Other Words

    Fillip
    Dissemble
    Indefatigable
    Dearth
    Milieu
    Coalesce
    Acrimonious and Acrimony

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