irritating / confusing
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irritating / confusing
Having a disturbing, confusing, or mildly annoying effect on someone.
Das ständige, leise Piepen im Hintergrund war extrem irritierend.
The constant, quiet beeping in the background was extremely irritating.
'Irritierend' (irritating/confusing) is the present participle of the verb 'irritieren' (to irritate/confuse). Adjectives ending in '-end' always describe that something or someone has a certain effect. Something 'Irritierendes' (irritating/confusing) therefore causes a feeling of irritation in a person.
Ich finde sein Verhalten in letzter Zeit ziemlich irritierend.
I find his behavior lately pretty irritating.
Although 'irritierend' (irritating/confusing) is very similar to the English 'irritating', its meaning is often weaker and broader. It can simply mean 'verwirrend' (confusing), 'verstörend' (disturbing), or 'befremdlich' (strange/disconcerting), and not necessarily 'ärgerlich' (annoying).
Es war irritierend, dass er auf meine Frage nicht geantwortet hat.
It was confusing that he didn't answer my question.
'Irritierend' (irritating/confusing) is very often used in the impersonal construction 'Es ist irritierend, dass ...' (It is irritating/confusing that ...) or 'Es ist irritierend, wenn ...' (It is irritating/confusing when ...) to comment on a situation or behavior.
Es ist irritierend, wenn das Licht die ganze Zeit flackert.
It is irritating when the light flickers the whole time.
disruptive
Störend and irritierend can both have an unpleasant effect on a process or a person. Störend emphasizes the impairment of peace, concentration, or a process, while irritierend emphasizes the confusing or mildly annoying effect on someone. Use störend for the disruption itself and irritierend for the personal reaction to it.
Sein plötzliches Schweigen während der Prüfung war für mich irritierend.
His sudden silence during the exam was confusing to me.
Das laute Gespräch nebenan ist während der Prüfung störend.
The loud conversation next door is disruptive during the exam.
