as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
a bilious old dog who snaps at everyone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bilious
That pleasurable little paradox can be traced as far back as the 1952 classic melodrama The Bad and the Beautiful, or as recently as 2022's bilious Babylon.
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
In the Nineties, the report became a staple in the bilious feedstock of right-wing militias, part of a slurry of propaganda that turned legitimate grievances into the conviction that FEMA agents in unmarked black helicopters were soon to enact a new world order.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
The death chamber is nine feet by twelve feet, painted a bilious turquoise.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Everyone within her radius bears the germophobe’s wrath, with the only one who can occasionally pierce through her bilious anger being her upbeat hair-stylist sister Chantal (Michelle Austin), a mother of two vibrant daughters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bilious
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
In the Nineties, the report became a staple in the bilious feedstock of right-wing militias, part of a slurry of propaganda that turned legitimate grievances into the conviction that FEMA agents in unmarked black helicopters were soon to enact a new world order.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
The death chamber is nine feet by twelve feet, painted a bilious turquoise.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Everyone within her radius bears the germophobe’s wrath, with the only one who can occasionally pierce through her bilious anger being her upbeat hair-stylist sister Chantal (Michelle Austin), a mother of two vibrant daughters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilious
Adjective
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And even in what was a stilted match played in an increasingly irritable atmosphere, Rogers and Tielemans delivered with an assist each.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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This stretch can worsen pain in people with back pain, very tight hamstrings, or irritable nerves.—
Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CHT,
Verywell Health,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Abby’s Motivations – Last night, players saw that the show was saying right away that Abby was a Firefly and was angry at Joel for all his murders at the hospital, decimating the entire organization.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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His angry toss of the rosin bag to a spot several feet from the pitcher’s mound during Sunday’s game was an indication of his disappointment.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And while there is enough splenetic wit and manic detail to generate obsessive fandom (entire sections of Web sites are dedicated to deciphering just what Kenny is mumbling), subjects like alien abduction, genetic engineering, and Kathie Lee are hardly original targets for satire.—
Chris Norris,
SPIN,
13 Aug. 2022
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Meanwhile, the commentator and controversialist Piers Morgan, an obsessively close observer and relentless critic of Meghan, inevitably waded in with his usual splenetic views.—
Sarah Lyall,
New York Times,
17 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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The acid content of these foods irritates your child's skin, causing redness that can look like a rash.6 Viruses and Bacterial Infections Certain viral or bacterial infections may cause multiple symptoms around the mouth, including a rash.—
Wendy Wisner,
Health,
18 Apr. 2025
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Roy Ayers, the jazz vibraphonist whose smooth fusion planted the seeds of acid jazz and neo soul, died Wednesday at the age of 84.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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If Alex has a bit more credibility, not being as intractable in her positions, both have a tendency to come off as disagreeable in their incessant bickering and self-righteousness.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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If Alex has a bit more credibility, not being as intractable in her positions, both have a tendency to come off as disagreeable in their incessant bickering and self-righteousness.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The trust's extensive provisions are just an example of Barnes' quirky and often cantankerous nature.—
Blake Gopnik,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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The trust's extensive provisions are just an example of Barnes' quirky and often cantankerous nature.—
Blake Gopnik,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Image Our collective longing to connect with animals is evident in the viral popularity of animal celebrities on social media — who can resist Pesto the chubby baby king penguin, Hua Hua the panda or Moo Deng, the ornery baby pygmy hippo?—
Alexandra Alter,
New York Times,
23 Mar. 2025
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Fitzgerald, 75, his daughter Heather Valdez, 53, and their team of family members, co-workers and an ornery parrot named Cisco have kept this wacky thrift-consignment-retail store afloat.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilious. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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