as in irritating
causing annoyance
there are aspects of that writer's personality that any reasonable person would regard as rebarbative, but we're just reading his novels—not marrying him
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Recent Examples of rebarbative
Why not place a bet on Tala Madani, whose desultory drawing and wildly rebarbative conceits might have the impact at the Met that artists like Matisse once had in Paris?
—
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
One wonders why a skinny, rebarbative marionette should be getting so much attention.
—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022
But Krugman can also sound like a cross between a bloodthirsty Robespierre and a rebarbative GIF.
—Sebastian Mallaby, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2020
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
One wonders why a skinny, rebarbative marionette should be getting so much attention.
—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022
But Krugman can also sound like a cross between a bloodthirsty Robespierre and a rebarbative GIF.
—Sebastian Mallaby, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebarbative
Adjective
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Going Overboard with Outdoor Lighting Light pollution can be just as irritating as that dog down the street who barks like clockwork for 30 minutes every night.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
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New York, though, continued to use its newfound abilities to turn defense into offense with the irritating McBride starting in place of Brunson.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Other non-native ephemerals, such as lesser celandine, are more annoying and more recent arrivals.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
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Going on a first date while an unnamed, unseen troll pings you personal memes that escalate from annoying to homicidal?—
Charley Ross,
Glamour,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For many people, these medications provide a way out of the frustrating cycle of dieting and regaining weight.—
Rowan Briggs,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2025
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Those interest rates matter, because of the frustrating math of inflation.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Other times, Claude’s mental activity seems super disturbing and maybe even dangerous.—
Steven Levy,
Wired News,
28 Mar. 2025
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Just as disturbing and bizarre, at least one juror originally didn’t want to convict Zeigler at all and didn’t vote to do so until after that same judge ordered the bailiff to give her a Valium.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebarbative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebarbative. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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