irritable

adjective

ir·​ri·​ta·​ble ˈir-ə-tə-bəl How to pronounce irritable (audio)
: capable of being irritated: such as
a
: easily exasperated or excited
gets irritable when he tires
b
: responsive to stimuli
irritableness noun
irritably adverb

Examples of irritable in a Sentence

My father is always irritable after a nap. I came home from work feeling tired and irritable.
Recent Examples on the Web The Larry David of the show is an irritable man with a wife (Cheryl Hines), who eventually leaves him, and a sidekick (Jeff Garlin), who is his manager and yes-man. Boris Kachka, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Those awful nights left her sleepy, irritable and emotionally spent—symptoms of nightmare disorder. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 Matrimony and domesticity at the time were considered part of the basic life path for women and the idea that a wife could find these things unsatisfactory and abandon her husband and children went down about as easily as the notion of a portly, irritable reality TV show host running for president. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 Besides excess urination, the symptoms of water intoxication can include feeling irritable, lethargic, more easily distractible or confused, vomiting, nausea, and in most critical cases, seizures and comas or even death, Bober said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 Travel spreads bed bugs Orkin didn’t say how many homes and businesses its workers have treated in Charlotte and other cities or speculate why some cities have more of the irritable parasites than others. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2024 Dear Amy: My husband has been irritable, tense, short-tempered and basically taking things out on me and our 16-year-old son. Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024 Conditions like celiac disease, irritable bowl syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease impair absorption. Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Mira grows more irritable with her mother as her relationship with Sri progresses. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irritable.' 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

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irritable was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near irritable

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

irritable

adjective
ir·​ri·​ta·​ble ˈir-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce irritable (audio)
: capable of being irritated
especially : easily irritated
gets irritable when he's tired
irritableness noun
irritably adverb

Medical Definition

irritable

adjective
ir·​ri·​ta·​ble ˈir-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce irritable (audio)
: characterized by irritability: as
a
: easily exasperated or excited
b
: responsive to stimuli

More from Merriam-Webster on irritable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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