Irish

American

[ahy-rish] / ˈaɪ rɪʃ /

adjective

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

noun

the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.
the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.
Also called Irish Gaelic. the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. Ir, Ir.
Irish English.
Irish whiskey.

idioms

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

of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
informal ludicrous or illogical

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland
another name for Irish Gaelic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Irish More Idioms

see luck of the devil (Irish).

Sensitive Note

See Irish pennant.

Other Word Forms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their songs weave in Irish lilting, set against a lively mix of drums, fiddles, flutes, harps, banjos, cello and concertina - skills honed over years of playing house parties, pub céilís and traditional festivals.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

"I didn't know it was a comedy at first," exclaims the Irish actor.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Born in New Jersey to the an Irish mother and an Italian-American father who ran a tyre store, he left school at 16 to try his hand at acting and dancing.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Then, for his first haute couture collection, the 41-year-old Northern Irish designer presented a line with punk touches and floral accents, true to his rebellious spirit.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

I hummed an old war song about the Irish and their courage, and Maggie finished with me.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023