irritability

American

[ir-i-tuh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪr ɪ təˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

irritabilities

the quality or state of being irritable.
Physiology, Biology. the ability to be excited to a characteristic action or function by the application of some stimulus.

Protoplasm displays irritability by responding to heat.

Other Word Forms

nonirritability noun
superirritability noun

Etymology

Origin of irritability

From the Latin word irrītābilitās, dating back to 1745–55. See irritable, -ity

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.

These included sadness, fatigue, anxiety, low mood, tension, irritability, anger and difficulty falling asleep.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

Dementia tends to be thought of mostly as a memory-loss disease, but there are many other aspects, including disorientation, difficulty balancing, poor coordination, trouble multitasking, confusion, wandering, apathy, irritability, impulsivity, poor judgment, and social inappropriateness.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026

Your frustration and irritability is a sign that your boundaries are being pushed: your emotional, familial and financial boundaries.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

Symptoms range from general irritability to nausea, headaches and fainting.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025

It occurred to her that if she could get sick, too, no one would blame her for collapsing but, of course, she didn’t catch anything, except irritability from not sleeping properly and worrying.

From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson

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