Read full poem →root and white flower, sour at first, but sweet in the end; which Hesiod
termeth the study of Virtue, hard and irksome in the beginning, but in
the end easy and pleasant. And that which is most to be marvelled at,
Dictionary Entry
Something that is annoying, tedious, or tiresome.
In a Sentence
“The irksome buzzing of the mosquito kept me awake all night, making it difficult to get any rest.”
Origin
Late 16th century: from the verb 'irk' (meaning to annoy or weary) + the suffix '-some'. The origin of 'irk' is uncertain, possibly from Old Norse.
Common Phrases
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Poetry examples for “irksome”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Read full poem →To thoughts with which my heart beat high
Were irksome--for whate'er my mood,
In sooth I love not solitude;
Read full poem →before Diabolus took the town; and hard by his house stood the castle,
which Diabolus for a long time had made his irksome den. The captains,
therefore, did quickly clear that street by the use of their slings, so