irrepressible

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​re·​press·​ible ˌir-i-ˈpre-sə-bəl 

: impossible to repress, restrain, or control

irrepressible curiosity

irrepressibility

ˌir-i-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

irrepressibly

ˌir-i-ˈpre-sə-blē 

adverb

irrepressibility

2 of 2

noun

ir·​repressibility ¦i 

¦ir, 

¦iə+

plural -es

: the quality or state of being irrepressible

his constant irrepressibility

Examples of irrepressible in a Sentence

Adjective

She has an irrepressible sense of humor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Nearby, the irrepressible older artist Nina Yankowitz, who completed a retrospective of her six-decade-long career at the Parrish earlier this year, was talking to Joan Semmel, 93, in a dress adorned with stars. — Vanessa Grigoriadis, Vanity Fair, 21 July 2026

Holding it all together is the irrepressible Rodri, sweeping up loose balls and snuffing out counter-attacks with a positional awareness few central midfielders match. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026

The hero of the story is not the strongest nor the bravest warrior, but someone who continually gets his friends out of danger through his quick thinking and his irrepressible wit. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 July 2026

Maradona, on the other hand, was a charismatic populist, a scalawag from a shantytown, irrepressible and impudent. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irrepressible

• accessible
• addressable
• assessable
• compressible
• expressible
• inaccessible
• incompressible
• inexpressible

Kids Definition

irrepressible

adjective

ir·​re·​press·​ible ˌir-i-ˈpres-ə-bəl 

: impossible to repress or control

irrepressible curiosity

irrepressibility

-ˌpres-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

irrepressibly

-ˈpres-ə-blē 

adverb