Irish

American  

[ahy-rish] / ˈaɪ rɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

1. the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.

2. the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.

3. Also called Irish Gaelic.  the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. Ir, Ir.

4. Irish English.

5. Irish whiskey.

idioms

1. get one's Irish up, to become angry or outraged.

   Don't go getting your Irish up over a little matter like that.

Irish British  

/ ˈaɪrɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English

2. informal ludicrous or illogical

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noun

1. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland

2. another name for Irish Gaelic

Irish More Idioms  

1. see luck of the devil (Irish).

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Sensitive Note

See Irish pennant.

Other Word Forms

• Irishly adverb
• anti-Irish adjective
• half-Irish adjective
• non-Irish adjective
• pre-Irish adjective
• pro-Irish adjective
• pseudo-Irish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Irish

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English Yrisse, Iris(c)h; compare Old English Īras people of Ireland (cognate with Old Norse Īrar ); see -ish ¹

Example Sentences

“Certainly over the last number of years in the U.S., we have been thinking of where we could find these new audiences for Irish music,” Dorgan said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

The Republic of Ireland does not have a direct travel fund for children with cancer, but financial support is available through the Irish Cancer Society's Travel2Care scheme.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Dubai police have said they have arrested an Irish fugitive for his alleged role in an international organised crime network.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The Austrian bank announced an all-cash bid for the state-backed Irish bank, valuing it at 1.62 billion euros.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Music wafted through the dusk—the trill and wail of a klezmer’s violin rivaled by a woman fiddling a lively Irish jig.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros