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Molesto vs. irritado

Word practice demo
While both words translate to annoyed or irritated, molesto generally describes a feeling of emotional discomfort or mild anger, whereas irritado suggests a heightened state of agitation, edginess, or even a physical reaction.

Molesto

A2
This is the most common term for describing a general sense of being bothered, upset, or uncomfortable. It implies a low to moderate intensity of anger, often caused by an inconvenience, a nuisance, or a disagreement. It can also describe a physical discomfort, though usually in the context of feeling unwell.
Juan está molesto porque perdió sus llaves esta mañana.
(Juan is annoyed because he lost his keys this morning.)
No estoy enojada contigo, solo estoy un poco molesta por el retraso.
(I am not angry with you, I am just a little annoyed by the delay.)
Los vecinos están molestos por el ruido de la construcción.
(The neighbors are bothered by the noise from the construction.)
Ella se levanta molesta si no duerme lo suficiente.
(She wakes up upset if she does not sleep enough.)

Irritado

B1
This word describes a sharper feeling of friction, bad temper, or being on edge. It implies the person is agitated and might snap at someone. Unlike molesto, irritado is frequently used in a biological context to describe skin or eyes that are sore, red, or inflamed.
El conductor estaba visiblemente irritado por el tráfico lento.
(The driver was visibly irritated by the slow traffic.)
No uses ese jabón si tienes la piel irritada.
(Do not use that soap if you have irritated skin.)
Su tono de voz sugiere que se siente muy irritado por la situación.
(His tone of voice suggests he feels very irritated by the situation.)
Tengo los ojos irritados por estar tanto tiempo frente a la computadora.
(My eyes are irritated from being in front of the computer for so long.)

Summary

Use molesto for general situations where you feel bothered, uncomfortable, or upset with someone. Use irritado when the feeling is more intense, involving agitation and a short temper, or when describing physical inflammation.