irresistible
Americanadjective
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not resistible; incapable of being resisted or withstood.
an irresistible impulse.
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lovable, especially calling forth feelings of protective love.
an irresistible puppy.
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enticing; tempting to possess.
an irresistible necklace.
noun
adjective
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not able to be resisted or refused; overpowering
an irresistible impulse
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very fascinating or alluring
an irresistible woman
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irresistible
From the Medieval Latin word irresistibilis, dating back to 1590–1600. See ir- 2, resistible
Explanation
If something is irresistible, you have to have it, like the plate of gooey chocolate chip cookies sitting in front of a group of dieters who one by one help themselves to a handful. If you can’t resist something, it’s irresistible. Something is irresistible if it is so enticing, attractive, magnetic, tempting, or alluring that you must have it. You have no control — that's what all irresistible things have in common. From potato chips to bargain shopping or the urge to send text messages, when something is irresistible, it's hard to fight.
Vocabulary lists containing irresistible
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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List 9
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-ible
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A popular fan-fiction author has created her own platinum blond bad boy for ‘The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy,’ a romantasy set in an alternate 19th century England.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025
Appeared in the September 9, 2025, print edition as 'The Irresistible Joy of Carlos Alcaraz'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 8, 2025
They are what scientists call hyper-palatable: Irresistible, easy to overeat, and capable of hijacking the brain’s reward system and provoking powerful cravings.
From Washington Post • Sep. 27, 2022
Remember "The Return" or "Simply Irresistible"? Maybe not.
From Salon • Sep. 22, 2022
About 4 o'clock the Irresistible also ran foul of a mine and was run ashore on the Asiatic side, where most of her men were taken off under fire.
From A History of Sea Power by Stevens, William Oliver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
