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
The piece ran under an illustration of a black spatula dripping sinister goblets of melting plastic, against a background of bilious green.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for bilious
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for bilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilious
Adjective
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Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
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Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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People who were paying close attention to certain corners of the internet saw this reality coming more than a decade ago in Gamergate, in which an angry online mob waged a virulent harassment campaign against women and diversity in the video game industry.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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Republican members meet angry crowds The vast majority of Republican lawmakers have cheered on the changes to the federal government spearheaded by Trump's advisor, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 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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But his prematurely craggy voice and melodies, combined with arrangement rooted in string bands, were nothing like the soft-rock dudes on the radio; if anything, Hurley was acid folk.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
18 Mar. 2025
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For the Abe Lincoln tomato, for example — a century-old, disease-resistant red slicer with rich, slightly acid flavor — there is seed from listers in California, Nebraska, Maine, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Jersey.—
Margaret Roach,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The United States’s three most powerful European allies disagree with its plan for ending the brutal, destructive stalemate in Ukraine, with Germany the most disagreeable.—
Dominic Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
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Sometimes that means confronting disagreeable people.—
David Plazas,
The Tennessean,
24 Apr. 2024
Adjective
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But one favorite will not suit up - Phil Dunster, who played talented yet cantankerous pretty-boy goal scorer, Jamie Tartt.—
Marco della Cava,
USA TODAY,
14 Mar. 2025
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The membership must have been particularly cantankerous this year, since only four players – Gates, Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Sterling Sharpe – were selected.—
Jim Alexander,
Orange County Register,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The offensive line, in Monken’s estimation, is the most talented and possibly most ornery unit he’s had at West Point, all the way down to wrestling each other to settle arguments about who’s tougher.—
Brian Hamilton,
The Athletic,
21 Nov. 2024
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They’re led by John Dutton III, an ornery character who nevertheless carries the kind of gravitas that only a veteran movie star like Kevin Costner can bring.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
18 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilious. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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