irrepressible

adjective

ir·​re·​press·​ible ˌir-i-ˈpre-sə-bəl How to pronounce irrepressible (audio)
: impossible to repress, restrain, or control
irrepressible curiosity
irrepressibility noun
irrepressibly adverb

Examples of irrepressible in a Sentence

She has an irrepressible sense of humor.
Recent Examples on the Web But the chef’s inventive side is irrepressible, coming out in a wonderful salad of pomelo, sheep’s milk Valbreso and mango chutney and the most decadent perogies that’ll ever melt on your tongue. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Besides, the irrepressible Elsbeth has enough enthusiasm for all of us. Brian Lowry, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Her performances are characterized by high energy, irrepressible spirit, and go-for-broke physical comedy. Michael Paulson, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 After his recovery, Mr. Navalny again demonstrated his tough, irrepressible character by declining a life of comfortable exile and returning to Russia with an appeal for people to take to the streets to overthrow Mr. Putin. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Feb. 2024 All the more so thanks to the irrepressible Racquel and Gabby and their outrageous way with a tune. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024 At its heart is the signature of David’s screen persona: his own irrepressible laughter. M.d. Rodrigues, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 Leading its scraggly, malnourished crew is John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis from Persuasion), an English pilot with an irrepressible survival instinct. TIME, 7 Feb. 2024 Embedded in the dangerous, oversexed bad boy rock ‘n roll package is an irrepressible sense of humor that feels like Idol is making fun of himself over anyone else. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irrepressible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irrepressible was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near irrepressible

Cite this Entry

“Irrepressible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irrepressible. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

irrepressible

adjective
ir·​re·​press·​ible ˌir-i-ˈpres-ə-bəl How to pronounce irrepressible (audio)
: impossible to repress or control
irrepressible curiosity
irrepressibility noun
irrepressibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on irrepressible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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