irritava

Irritava is a conjugated form of the Portuguese verb irritar. It is the imperfect indicative form, used with first-person singular (eu irritava) or third-person singular subjects (ele/ela/você irritava) to describe a past action or state that was ongoing or habitual. The ending -ava is typical for the imperfect tense of the -ar verb group.

The verb irritar means to irritate, annoy, or provoke. Its etymology traces to Latin irritare, meaning to excite or provoke. In related Romance languages, similar verbs exist with parallel meanings, such as Spanish irritar and French irriter.

Usage and nuance: irritava often appears in narrative or descriptive past contexts to convey a continuous or repeated irritability rather than a single incident. It can describe persistent noise, delays, or conditions that continually provoked annoyance. For example, "O barulho irritava os vizinhos" (The noise irritated the neighbors) or "A demora irritava a todos" (The delay irritated everyone).

Form and variation: as a standard -ar verb, irritar follows regular imperfect endings: eu irritava, tu irritavas, ele/ela/você irritava, nós irritávamos, eles/elas irritavam. The form irritava therefore serves as a versatile past-tense marker in everyday and literary Portuguese.

See also: irritar, irritação, irritável.