irritability

[ ir-i-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

/ ˌɪr ɪ təˈbɪl ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR irritability ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ties.

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.

Nearby words

irrigable, irrigate, irrigation, irrigative, irriguous, irritability, irritable, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable heart, irritant, irritate

Origin of irritability

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

Related forms

non·ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ty, nounsu·per·ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for irritability

Her irritability became more pronounced and she was fired from her job with a periodontic practice in Hamden.
In Months Before Wild Capitol Scene, Miriam Carey Battled Psychosis|Michael Daly|October 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But Carey may have been occasionally hampered by an irritability that is also common among those with hypomania.
In Months Before Wild Capitol Scene, Miriam Carey Battled Psychosis|Michael Daly|October 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It revealed the irritability of a man accustomed to being in control who's watching his plans fall apart in public.
John Avlon: Mitt Romney’s Campaign Is Becoming a Sinking Ship|John Avlon|December 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Less outdoor and active play time as the weather gets colder leads to an increase in irritability or anxiety in all children.
Autism's Back-to-School Anxiety|Priscilla Gilman|September 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Signs included muscular aches and pains, headaches, inability to relax, and irritability.
Mark Twain's Sex Toys|Laura Skandera Trombley|June 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Nervously, with an irritability so foreign to her, that they eyed each other uncertainly, she gave them hurried commands.
The Monster|Edgar Saltus
Capron had certainly succeeded in leaving an atmosphere of irritability behind him.
Poppy|Cynthia Stockley
Her irritability had suddenly quite vanished, and her anxious, imploring eyes were fixed on him with greedy expectation.
War and Peace|Leo Tolstoy
Only by a certain degree of irritability can it survive in the struggle for existence.
Outwitting Our Nerves|Josephine A. Jackson and Helen M. Salisbury
He suffered from; irritability of the prepuce, and the nurse powdered it before he went to sleep.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis

Medicine definitions for irritability

irritability

[ ĭr′ĭ-tə-bĭl′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The capacity to respond to stimuli.

Abnormal or excessive sensitivity to stimuli of an organism, organ, or body part.

irritability

noun, plural ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ties.

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Origin of irritability

Related forms

Examples from the Web for irritability

Medicine definitions for irritability

irritability

n.