2. multicolored, multicolor, polychromatic, polychromatic, of many colors or shades or hues, prismatic, prismatical, spectral, rainbowy, rainbowlike, colorful, brilliant; shot, variegated, varied, varicolored, parti-colored, marble, marbly, marmoreal, marmo-rean, streaked, motley. irk, v. 1. irritate, annoy, provoke, vex, pique, peeve, nettle, chafe, get on [s.o.'s] nerves, tread on [s.o.'s] toes, go against the grain, run afoul of [s.o.], Chiefly U.S. rile, Inf. aggravate, Inf. miff, Inf. give [s.o.] a pain, Inf. rub [s.o.] the wrong way, Inf get under [s.o.'s] skin, Inf. get in [s.o.'s] hair; exasperate, ruffle, roil, disturb, disquiet, discompose, discountenance, put out, put off, try [s.o.'s] patience, Inf. put [s.o.'s] nose out of joint, get, SI. get [s.o.'s] goat; set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw or crop, Inf. grate on or grate on one's nerves.
2. bother, pester, harass, hector,, SI. bug, SI. hassle, SI. drive [s.o.] nuts or crazy or bananas, SI. drive [s.o.] up the wall; {all from continual harassment) tire, fatigue, exhaust, wear out, fag, fag out.
3. anger, incense, raise [s.o.'s] ire or hackles, get [s.o.'s] back up, Inf. get [s.o.'s] Irish or dander up, Inf. burn [s.o.] up, SI. tick [s.o.] off, SI. tee [s.o.] off. irksome, adj. irritating, annoying, vexing, vexatious, Inf. aggravating; bothersome, pestering, Inf. pesky, Inf. pestiferous, hectoring, harassing; troubling, troublesome, distressing, painful; worrying, worrisome, Archaic, plaguy; tiring, tiresome, wearying, wearisome, fatiguing; trying; boring.
iron, n. 1. pig iron, cast iron, wrought iron, steel.
2. flatiron, electric iron, steam iron, sadiron, mangle.
3. irons fetters, chains, shackles, gyves, bilboes, trammels; bonds, pinions; manacles, handcuffs, cuffs, SI. bracelets, Brit. SI. darbies; hampers, clog, governor, restraint, constraint.
-adj. 4. ironlike, ferrous, ferruginous, Chem. ferric, chalybeate.
5. stern, harsh, severe, unfeeling, cruel; stark, grim, inexorable; ironclad, rigid, unbending, inflexible, adamantine, obdurate, stubborn, obstinate, tenacious.
6. hard, firm, unyielding, resolved, determined, decided; indomitable, invincible, powerful; heroic, stalwart, mighty, strong, vigorous, robust, Literary, puissant; stout, hardy, sturdy.
-v. 7. smooth, press, hot-iron, hot-press, steam, mangle.
8. iron out straighten out, solve, resolve; finalize, perfect, get rid of the wrinkles or bugs; reconcile, harmonize, smooth over. ironic, adj. 1. figurative, nonliteral, double-edged; contradictory, paradoxical, irreconcilable, incongruous, jarring; unexpected, unforeseen, unanticipated, surprising; serendipitous, happenstantial, coincidental; bewildering, puzzling, mysterious, irrational, unexplainable.
2. mocking, ridiculing, derisive, derisory, scornful, sardonic, Rabelaisian, ironical; cynical, satirical, burlesque; contemptuous, contumelious, disparaging, sneering, disdainful, supercilious, haughty, arrogant; taunting, teasing, chaffing, quizzical, gibing, jeering, scoffing; critical, captious, carping, censorious, faultfinding.
3. caustic, sarcastic, mordant, mordacious, acrimonious, bitter, acrid, acidulous, acid, pungent; trenchant, cutting, incisive, slashing, scathing; keen, pointed, sharp, sharp-tongued; penetrating, piercing, stinging, pricking, nipping, biting; spiteful, virulent, malicious, malificent, venomous, vicious, malevolent, malignant; insulting, excoriating, denouncing, berating, abusive, scurrilous, offensive, vituperative.