IRRITABILITY Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

irritability

noun

ˌir-ə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

Definition of irritability

as in irritableness

readiness to show annoyance or impatience the librarian's well-known irritability makes students hesitant to ask questions

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of irritability Chronic irritability is another factor, sometimes tied to disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Hunger can amplify low moods, irritability and worry, which is not what any nervous child needs before walking into a new classroom. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 This could, in turn, trigger feelings of restlessness and irritability, not to mention the lack of clarity brought on by the moon transiting this Water sign. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 Capsaicin, the natural chemical compound in chili peppers, can cause severe irritability in a feline's gastrointestinal system. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritability

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritability

Noun

At his best, Fries flies off the ball with force and aggression.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
As quotas for immigration arrests increased that spring, he was asked to press felony charges for even minor aggressions against agents.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggression

Noun

The salaries match, Strus is an expiring contract while Niko has four years left and the 3-point shooting and the aggressiveness of Max are way better than Niko’s.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
This could bring up feelings of resentment, competitiveness or passive aggressiveness, especially if there’s been something simmering in the background.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggressiveness

Noun

How to handle it A lot of Virgo’s crankiness can be soothed with helping them get organized and practice self-compassion.

— Maressa Brown, Parents, 18 June 2026
Bumping into someone wasn’t met with frustration, but with a grin and a comment about the Knicks, as if the entire city had agreed to give each other a pass from the stereotypical crankiness for one single night.

— Antonio Ferme, Variety, 14 June 2026

Definition of crankiness

Noun

Nonetheless, no agreements have been reached yet, partly because of the complexities of the issues surrounding AI, as well as sensitivities around how Hollywood talent and unions would react, the sources said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Besides a wide-field infrared camera that matches Hubble’s sensitivity but is 1,000 times faster, Roman holds an instrument to block out starlight.

— Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of sensitivity

Noun

Vince Gilligan moved to Apple and returned to his X-Files roots for the sci-fi horror dramatic comedy Pluribus, which used its ultra-mysterious and yet ultra-familiar genre trappings for a droll meditation on the eternal clash between collective joy and individual grouchiness.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
Emily is also struggling with Annabelle, who has inherited her mom’s attitude and the grouchiness of any adolescent forced to grow up with an Evolution Media camera crew in her home.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025

Definition of grouchiness

Noun

Even Wilfried Zaha, with all his on-pitch petulance, never allowed standards to slip.

— Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Cusick and Kretschmann offer complementary chords of variable petulance and insecurity, as newcomer Cuoso ably negotiates her character’s shifting ambiguities.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of petulance

Noun

Monsoon rains repeatedly destroy their shelter, and the city offers them little beyond hostility and indifference.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
While Connecticut has responded to these attacks, creating a new student loan program and funding tens of millions in research programming in lieu of federal hostility, the attacks keep coming.

— Derek Slap, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hostility

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irrigating

irritability

irritable

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“Irritability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritability. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of irritability

noun

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