The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ITCHING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
I
T
C
H
I
N
G
More clues leading to the result ITCHING
- Confucian text about time is causing irritation
- Irritating Cockney’s after a lift?
- Eager one with speed of light entering event
- Inquisitive and tense when absorbed in Book of Changes
- Trading, apart from Devon area, is dying
- Impatient to get out of ditch, in general
- Current article about Conservative causing irritation
- Chinese text takes time, getting impatient
- In Chinese forecasting system, Tokyo’s capital’s bound up with yen
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "causing irritation" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case causing irritation = itching.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ITCHING mean?
ITCHING verb- To feel itchy; to feel a need to be scratched.
- To have a constant, teasing urge; to feel strongly motivated; to want or desire something.
- To cause to feel an itch.
- To scratch or rub so as to relieve an itch.
- A sensation that itches.