beset vs irritate

beset and irritate both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
beset	No	No	Yes	No
irritate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, irritate is a hypernym of beset; that is, irritate is a word with a broader meaning than beset:

Other hypernyms of beset include annoy, bother, chafe, devil, get at, get to, gravel, nark, nettle, rag, rile, vex.

beset (verb)	irritate (verb)
assail or attack on all sides:	excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame
decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems)	excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus
annoy continually or chronically	cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations