irrepressible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- irrepressibility noun
- irrepressibleness noun
- irrepressibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of irrepressible
First recorded in 1805–15; ir- 2 + repressible ( def. )
Explanation
Something that’s irrepressible can’t be restrained. If you find yourself constantly looking up the definitions of interesting words, you have an irrepressible desire to expand your vocabulary. You just can’t stop! Irrepressible comes from the word repress, which means "restrain" or "reject." If you have a desire to become an actor but are worried about financial security, you might repress your calling for the stage and opt for law school instead. However, some desires are simply irrepressible. If you ignore your urge to be onstage, watch out; we predict that one day you’ll find yourself delivering a Shakespearean monologue to a very confused jury.
Vocabulary lists containing irrepressible
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -able, -ible
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Anna Karenina
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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.
Because this is a low-key charity gig, the staging and lighting are minimal; but the star makes the room shrink, shimmying around in a jade green ballgown with irrepressible energy.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
We all hold irrepressible yearnings and desires; they have driven us, across time, to engage with a spiritual world that encompasses beauty and, more importantly, our own inner lives and our connection to community.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
Also explored in these pages is the ongoing human toll and the irrepressible spirit of survival.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
The visitors were 59-1 at lunch, leading by 99, with Duckett on 28 and Pope not-out 24, digging in after the irrepressible Mitchell Starc again pounced in the first over.
From Barron's • Nov. 22, 2025
All the years Grandpa Dodzi had lived, the changes he’d seen, the struggles he’d overcome, his grit, his irrepressible humor—all lost to us and the world because his time had come.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
