excitable

adjective

ex·​cit·​able ik-ˈsī-tə-bəl 

1

: capable of being readily roused into action or a state of excitement or irritability

2

: capable of being activated by and reacting to stimuli

excitable cells

excitability

ik-ˌsī-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

excitableness

ik-ˈsī-tə-bəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of excitable

• nervous
• volatile
• anxious
• hyper
• unstable
• hyperactive

Examples of excitable in a Sentence

an excitable child who needs a stable home life

Recent Examples on the Web

The studio released the official trailer for the film on Thursday, showing Edgar-Jones as the formidable Elinor Dashwood; Esmé Creed-Miles as her excitable sister, Marianne; and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as their youngest sibling, Margaret. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026

The excitable kids had been instructed several times to give Bryce Young room. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026

Myhrvold, now 66 and still the CEO of Intellectual Ventures, is jolly and excitable in conversation. — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026

Then again, there’s an excitable alien fry cook voiced by, yes, Martin Scorsese, who’s one of the coolest personalities in the whole movie. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing excitable

• hyper-excitable

Rhymes for excitable

• copyrightable

Kids Definition

excitable

adjective

ex·​cit·​able ik-ˈsīt-ə-bəl 

1

: easily excited

2

: capable of being excited

excitability

-ˌsīt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

excitable

adjective

ex·​cit·​able ik-ˈsīt-ə-bəl 

of living tissue or an organism

: capable of being activated by and reacting to stimuli : exhibiting irritability

the biochemistry of excitable membranes

—Science

excitability

-ˌsīt-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural excitabilities