irrepressible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Irrepressible dancing grannies who have taken their routines abroad, taking over plazas outside the Louvre in Paris or Moscow’s Red Square, have been criticized as a stain on China’s image.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2021
Irrepressible but outmatched, Nick Kyrgios departed the Australian Open with a fourth-round defeat at the hands of world No1 Rafael Nadal, who took the match 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 at the Rod Laver Arena.
From The Guardian • Jan. 27, 2020
In 1858, William Seward, a Republican senator from New York, gave a famous speech titled “The Irrepressible Conflict,” referring to the struggle between “slave labor” and “voluntary labor.”
From Washington Post • May 2, 2017
Irrepressible when he spotted something he did not like, but also impatient with good books that he thought could be better, he was often savage in his commentary.
From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2010
In the language of New York's most distinguished Senator, it was "Irrepressible."
From John Brown: A Retrospect Read before The Worcester Society of Antiquity, Dec. 2, 1884. by Roe, Alfred S. (Alfred Seelye)
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.
