“Ira Ira” — A Japanese Word for Feeling Irritated, Frustrated, and On Edge

07/06/2025

Ever felt your patience slipping away?
Like when someone’s chewing too loudly… or the Wi-Fi just won’t work?
That’s when the Japanese onomatopoeia “Ira Ira” comes in — the sound of building frustration.

Table of Contents

What is “Ira Ira”?

“Ira Ira” is a Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses irritation, annoyance, and a rising sense of frustration.

It’s used when someone is feeling short-tempered, edgy, or agitated by something or someone.

Think of it as the emotional version of an eye twitch.

Pronunciation

ee-rah ee-rah

Examples in Daily Life

Example 1: Stuck in traffic

He was already late.
The traffic lights turned red again.
He felt himself going ira ira…

Example 2: Waiting for a slow-loading website

The circle kept spinning… and spinning…
She sighed, ira ira rising by the second.

Cultural Note

In English, we say “I’m getting annoyed” or “It’s driving me crazy.”

In Japanese, you can just say: Ira Ira shiteru.

It’s a compact, expressive way to describe that tense, itchy, boiling feeling inside.

You’ll often see it in manga or anime with spiky lines around the character’s head, or with little steam clouds puffing up — the visual code for “Watch out, they’re about to snap!”