bilious

adjective

ˈbil-yəs How to pronounce bilious (audio)
Definition of biliousnext
as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper a bilious old dog who snaps at everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bilious Even though his bloodwork looked normal six months previously, sudden onset or acute renal failure can happen in an old dog for no apparent reason other than age and result in bilious vomiting. — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 8 June 2025 Under Nézet-Séguin, the musicians do the job spectacularly, releasing all those bilious harmonies and seething rhythms in an unbroken two-hour spasm of excitement. — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025 And Emily’s side of the family isn't much better, represented by her mean, bilious aunt (Allison Janney, herself no slouch in the hissing-authority department) and her boozy mother (Elizabeth Perkins, replacing Jean Smart from the first film). — Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025 The death chamber is nine feet by twelve feet, painted a bilious turquoise. — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilious
  1. irritable
  2. angry
  3. splenetic
  4. dyspeptic
  5. acid
  6. disagreeable
  7. cantankerous
  8. ornery
Adjective
  • Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Whether a balanced market can be achieved with competing cartels will be an interesting experiment in a sometimes-irritable trade relationship.
    — Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Thrillers like 1990's Hunt for Red October and similar fare make submarine hunting look like the most exciting thing this side of pulling a nose hair out of an angry grizzly bear, but the reality is entirely different.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Many Democrats, especially younger ones, are angry at Israel over Gaza.
    — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • Still, the internet nurtures these Hobbesian, splenetic views.
    — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
  • Meanwhile, the commentator and controversialist Piers Morgan, an obsessively close observer and relentless critic of Meghan, inevitably waded in with his usual splenetic views.
    — Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2022
Definition of splenetic
Adjective
  • Better is Danny Elfman’s spartan and fraught score, particularly the dyspeptic drums.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
  • But Kael sensed in her less dyspeptic moments that there was something special about Redford.
    — Stephen Galloway, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of dyspeptic
Adjective
  • There was an acid trip of a halftime show starring Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, and Shakira.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 July 2026
  • Lithium-ion, lead-acid, sodium-ion and other technologies all have a role to play in the electrification landscape.
    — Darren Tan, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • Mistaking being disagreeable with the act of disagreeing is common - especially in unsafe psychological workplaces.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • There are also a lot of people who have never dreamed of being disagreeable in public, much less considered joining a raucous social movement.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Definition of disagreeable
Adjective
  • Carroll O'Connor played the cantankerous antihero Archie Bunker, legendary for firing off his grumpy, bigoted views.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026
  • Principle photography is underway in London, with Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum sharing his memories of contending with Winston’s cantankerous Tyrannosaurus Rex.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 June 2026
Definition of cantankerous
Adjective
  • In the show, Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan, an ornery Green Lantern who is begrudgingly training his upstart protégé (Aaron Pierre).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 July 2026
  • Leach also would publicly call out his players and could get ornery when questioned about his team’s shortcomings.
    — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Definition of ornery

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bilious
biliousness
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Cite this Entry

“Bilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilious. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bilious for Spanish Speakers

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