irritable

adjective

ir·​ri·​ta·​ble ˈir-ə-tə-bəl 

: capable of being irritated: such as

a

: easily exasperated or excited

gets irritable when he tires

b

: responsive to stimuli

irritableness noun

irritably

ˈir-ə-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• choleric
• crabby
• cranky
• cross
• crotchety
• fiery
• grouchy
• grumpy
• irascible
• peevish
• perverse
• pettish
• petulant
• prickly
• quick-tempered
• raspy
• ratty
• short-tempered
• snappish
• snappy
• snarky
• snippety
• snippy
• stuffy
• testy
• waspish

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

On Monday, after Rodgers and former head coach Robert Saleh had spent several months bickering over topics such as unexcused absences and cadence, the irritable quarterback won out again. —Rob Reischel, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024

Within a couple of weeks of wearing the buds, my ears stopped having the irritable side effects. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 3 Oct. 2024

Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining. —Emily Blackwood, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024

But others may become anxious, irritable or overwhelmed. —Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing irritable

• irritable bowel syndrome

Kids Definition

irritable

adjective

ir·​ri·​ta·​ble ˈir-ət-ə-bəl 

: capable of being irritated

especially : easily irritated

gets irritable when he's tired

irritableness noun

irritably

-blē 

adverb

Medical Definition

irritable

adjective

ir·​ri·​ta·​ble ˈir-ət-ə-bəl 

: characterized by irritability: as

a

: easily exasperated or excited

b

: responsive to stimuli