irrepressible

[ir-i-pres-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. incapable of being repressed or restrained; uncontrollable.

   irrepressible laughter.

irrepressible

/ ˌɪrɪˈprɛsəbəl /

adjective

1. not capable of being repressed, controlled, or restrained

Other Word Forms

• irrepressibly adverb
• irrepressibility noun
• irrepressibleness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of irrepressible¹

First recorded in 1805–15; ir- ² + repressible ( def. )

Example Sentences

After the Japan game, Farrell told his players to "get over themselves" and, led by the irrepressible Hansen, they took his words to heart.

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The hosts dashed any outside hopes the Wallabies had of coming back when the irrepressible Hansen's catch inside the Aussie 22 led eventually to captain Caelan Doris touching down.

Read more on Barron's

The irrepressible funny man is using this difficult moment to take to the stage, offering a candid look at how his life has changed as he fights cancer.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That line, uttered by irrepressible sidekick Short Round in 1984’s “Indiana Jones at the Temple of Doom,” has endured, even if it didn’t end up being true.

Read more on Salon

But great swaths of the city’s wartime architecture still remain, along with its irrepressible commercial dynamism and ever-vibrant cultural life.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• boisterous 
• buoyant 
• ebullient 
• exuberant 
• rebellious 
• uncontrollable 
• unrestrained 
• unstoppable