bilious

adjective

bil·​ious ˈbil-yəs 

1

a

biology : of or relating to a yellow or greenish fluid that is secreted by the liver and that aids especially in the emulsification and absorption of fats : of or relating to bile (see bile sense 1a)

b

biology : marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive secretion of bile

a bilious attack

a bilious patient

c

: appearing as if affected by a bilious disorder

a sickly bilious face

2

: of or indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition

bilious commentary

her bilious humor

3

: sickeningly unpleasant

the bilious weather

with clapboards painted red and bilious yellow

—Sinclair Lewis

biliously adverb

biliousness noun

Did you know?

Bilious is one of several words whose origins trace to the old belief that four bodily humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) control temperament. Just like phlegmatic ("of a slow and stolid phlegm-driven character"), melancholy ("experiencing dejection associated with black bile"), and sanguine ("of a cheerful, blood-based disposition"), bilious suggests a personality associated with an excess of one of the humors—in this case, yellow bile. Such a personality may also be described as unreasonable, peevish, or ill-tempered, as typified by Charlotte Brontë in her 1849 novel, Shirley: "These two men, of hard, bilious natures both, rarely came into contact but they chafed each other’s moods."

Synonyms

• acid
• bearish
• bloody-minded [chiefly British]
• cantankerous
• disagreeable
• dyspeptic
• ill-humored
• ill-natured
• ill-tempered
• ornery
• splenetic
• surly

Examples of bilious in a Sentence

a bilious old dog who snaps at everyone

Recent Examples on the Web

Not altogether surprising because the proliferation of guns and incendiary political rhetoric over the past few decades — and especially the last few bilious years — made the shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pa., seemingly just a matter of time. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Rampant exposure to this movie on cable suggests that Scorsese’s bilious portrait of Jordan Belfort may soon join GoodFellas as one of the director’s most intensely rewatchable efforts. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024

Her women’s expressions are sardonic, humorous, perplexed, or even slightly bilious, and all of them are versions of herself. —Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2024

Color is a bilious miasma, golden tones sliding into flashes of brightness that collapse into queasy hues. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle French bilieux, from Latin biliosus, from bilis

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

bilious

adjective

bil·​ious ˈbil-yəs 

1

a

: of or relating to bile

b

: marked by or suffering from a disorder of the liver

2

: of an irritable disposition

biliously adverb

biliousness noun

Medical Definition

bilious

adjective

bil·​ious ˈbil-yəs 

1

: of or relating to bile

2

: marked by or affected with disordered liver function and especially excessive secretion of bile

biliousness noun