YouTube / iTunes / Spotify / Radio Public / Pocket Casts / Google Podcasts / Breaker / Overcast
Listen to ArtisanEnglish.jp posts & lesson intros here.
Word of the Day: Irk
The word irk may not often come up in everyday conversation, but it holds a particular significance when expressing annoyance or irritation.
To irk means to cause someone to feel irritated, annoyed, or a bit uncomfortable.
It’s a verb that captures that feeling when something small but persistent gets under your skin.
Consider this scenario: Imagine you’re in a quiet café, trying to enjoy your coffee and read a book, only to be interrupted by a loud group of people chatting noisily.
This distraction might irk you, making it challenging to focus on your reading.
The word conveys that familiar sensation when faced with minor inconveniences or bothersome behaviours.
Irk is versatile.
It can refer to anything from everyday annoyances—like a colleague’s habit of tapping their pen during meetings—to larger frustrations, such as traffic congestion during your morning commute.
You might say, “The constant noise from construction nearby really irks me,” or “It irks me when people don’t respect personal space.”
Additionally, the term can be used in various contexts, from casual conversations to more formal writings.
When drafting an opinion piece or a blog, expressing your irks can create a relatable connection with your readers, highlighting common annoyances and shared experiences.
Irk is a succinct and effective way to articulate your pet peeves.
Whether noted in personal narratives or casual chat, this little word encapsulates a common human experience, making it a valuable addition to your vocabulary.
So next time you feel that familiar twinge of irritation, remember to acknowledge it—you might find it liberating to say, “That really irks me!”
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post compares in readability to The New York Times.
It is likely to be understood by a reader with at least a 10th-grade education (age 16).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 47.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.