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me; tedious; disagreeable or troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition; as, irksome hours; irksome tasks. For not to irksome toil, but to delight, He made us. Milton.

Dark; gloomy; murky. [Archaic] Spenser. -- Mirk"some*ness, n. [Archaic]

Quarreling; quarrelsome; noisy. She is an irksome brawling scold. Shak.

Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive exercise; hard, muscular effort directed to some useful end, as agriculture, manufactures, and like; servile toil; exertion; work. God hath set Labor and rest, as day and night, to men Successive. Milton.…

Any irksome sameness, or want of variety. At sea, everything that breaks the monotony of the surrounding expanse attracts attention. W. Irving.

colds, or makes a practice of scolding; esp., a rude, clamorous woman; a shrew. She is an irksome, brawling scold. Shak.

Irksomeness; wearisomeness; tediousness. [Written also tædium.] Cowper. To relieve the tedium, he kept plying them with all manner of bams. Prof. Wilson. The tedium of his office reminded him more strongly of the willing scholar, and his thoughts were rambling. Dickens.

To harass by anything irksome. I would not cease To weary him with my assiduous cries. Milton. To weary out, to subdue or exhaust by fatigue.

To cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or disgust; to spend or pass; -- usually followed by away. The lovely lady whiled the hours away. Longfellow.