excitable

adjective

ex·​cit·​able ik-ˈsī-tə-bəl 

1

: capable of being readily roused into action or a state of excitement or irritability

2

: capable of being activated by and reacting to stimuli

excitable cells

excitability

ik-ˌsī-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

excitableness

ik-ˈsī-tə-bəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• fiddle-footed
• flighty
• fluttery
• high-strung
• hyper
• hyperactive
• hyperexcitable
• hyperkinetic
• jittery
• jumpy
• nervous
• skittery
• skittish
• spasmodic
• spooky

Examples of excitable in a Sentence

an excitable child who needs a stable home life

Recent Examples on the Web

And if Django’s Billy Crash tapped into Goggins’s ability to thrive with brutal spite, Mannix plays more to Goggins’s excitable energy and capacity for being clever (even when his character seems to be anything but). —Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025

For someone so obsessed with the granular details of carbohydrates and fueling, Roche runs with an easy, excitable freedom. —Devin Kelly, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2025

Charlotte leaned in next to her little brother only for excitable Louis to suddenly turn, accidentally leading to a clash of heads. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025

The breakthrough can pave way the way for further research to track network dysfunctions across large areas of excitable tissue – on the surface and also on a deeper level. —Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing excitable

• hyper-excitable

Rhymes for excitable

• copyrightable

Kids Definition

excitable

adjective

ex·​cit·​able ik-ˈsīt-ə-bəl 

1

: easily excited

2

: capable of being excited

excitability

-ˌsīt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

excitable

adjective

ex·​cit·​able ik-ˈsīt-ə-bəl 

of living tissue or an organism

: capable of being activated by and reacting to stimuli : exhibiting irritability

the biochemistry of excitable membranes

—Science

excitability

-ˌsīt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural excitabilities