irritability
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being irritable.
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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
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.
Clinicians call this the “prescribing cascade”: An antidepressant causes insomnia, so a sleep aid is added; a stimulant causes irritability, so a mood stabilizer follows.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Exposure has been associated with increased irritability and higher levels of cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.
From Science Daily • May 3, 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
People with autism may take medication to reduce anxiety, address attention problems, or reduce severe irritability.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
The milkshake had dulled what was left of Michael’s irritability.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
