Irreversible processes taking place during nonlinear acoustic wave propagation are considered using a representation by loops in a thermodynamic parameter space. For viscous and heat conducting media, the loops are constructed for quasi-harmonic and sawtooth waves and the descriptive equations are formulated. The linear and nonlinear absorptions are compared. For relaxing media, the processes are frequency-dependent. The loops broadens, narrows, and bends. The linear and nonlinear relaxation losses of wave energy are shown. Residual stresses and irreversible strains appear for hysteretic media, and here, a generalization of Rayleigh loops is pictured which takes into account the nonlinearly frequency-dependent hereditary properties. These describe the dynamic behavior, for which new equations are derived.