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
Synonyms
Examples of excitable in a Sentence
an excitable child who needs a stable home life
Recent Examples on the Web
In turn, the EEG arises from the excitable nature of nerve cells, or neurons.
—
Giridhar Kalamangalam, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Some of Wiig’s most memorable recurring characters, Michaels says, rested on the vaguest wisp of an idea, like Surprised Sue, an excitable woman who can’t keep herself from giddily ruining surprises.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Swimming through the cave is akin to an out-of-body experience, even when other excitable visitors are bobbing around you.
—Rachel Howard, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2024
Will Ferrell has arguably never been better as Buddy, an excitable man raised by elves in the North Pole who travels to New York City upon learning that his biological father (James Caan) is on the naughty list.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023
The parallels to today are not lost on the excitable denizens of Britain’s political class.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Some were more promising than others, but all drew dollars from excitable investors caught up in the SPAC craze, including mom—and-pop traders.
—Jonathan Randles, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023
By a sort of completion instinct, the excitable participants in these unions will usually toil for extra pleasure, high on joint enterprise and happy to mock the midnight bell.
—Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
The toilet is a perfect example for an excitable system.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
Giridhar Kalamangalam, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Some of Wiig’s most memorable recurring characters, Michaels says, rested on the vaguest wisp of an idea, like Surprised Sue, an excitable woman who can’t keep herself from giddily ruining surprises.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Swimming through the cave is akin to an out-of-body experience, even when other excitable visitors are bobbing around you.
—Rachel Howard, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2024
Will Ferrell has arguably never been better as Buddy, an excitable man raised by elves in the North Pole who travels to New York City upon learning that his biological father (James Caan) is on the naughty list.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023
The parallels to today are not lost on the excitable denizens of Britain’s political class.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Some were more promising than others, but all drew dollars from excitable investors caught up in the SPAC craze, including mom—and-pop traders.
—Jonathan Randles, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023
By a sort of completion instinct, the excitable participants in these unions will usually toil for extra pleasure, high on joint enterprise and happy to mock the midnight bell.
—Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
The toilet is a perfect example for an excitable system.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excitable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near excitable
Cite this Entry
“Excitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excitable. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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
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