as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
a bilious old dog who snaps at everyone
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Recent Examples of bilious
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
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
In the Nineties, the report became a staple in the bilious feedstock of right-wing militias, part of a slurry of propaganda that turned legitimate grievances into the conviction that FEMA agents in unmarked black helicopters were soon to enact a new world order.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 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
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 Apr. 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
In the Nineties, the report became a staple in the bilious feedstock of right-wing militias, part of a slurry of propaganda that turned legitimate grievances into the conviction that FEMA agents in unmarked black helicopters were soon to enact a new world order.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 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
Adjective
-
Lack of sleep can lead to a range of problems, including feeling more irritable.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
-
On the contrary, Juventus’ football soothed even the most irritable sections of the crowd.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, members of Congress are likely to face some angry, dissatisfied voters — with the year’s first major primary day fast approaching on March 3.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the attempt at humor didn’t satisfy some angry fans who believe Mets President David Stearns swindled Getz in a trade that essentially was a salary dump.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
And while there is enough splenetic wit and manic detail to generate obsessive fandom (entire sections of Web sites are dedicated to deciphering just what Kenny is mumbling), subjects like alien abduction, genetic engineering, and Kathie Lee are hardly original targets for satire.—
Chris Norris,
SPIN,
13 Aug. 2022
Adjective
-
Better is Danny Elfman’s spartan and fraught score, particularly the dyspeptic drums.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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But Kael sensed in her less dyspeptic moments that there was something special about Redford.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
An arrest has been made in an acid attack on a Long Island college student that happened nearly five years ago.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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As wine lovers’ taste in Chardonnay has moved from ripe and buttery to lean and racy, higher-acid, more-flavorful versions have come into vogue.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Like most who have their disagreements with Looney, the governor rarely finds Looney personally disagreeable.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
2 Feb. 2026
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Each time Trump changes the subject, the new subject somehow manages to be more disagreeable than the last.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Washington Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Lori Tan Chinn charms as a cantankerous Chinatown grandmother, while Jamie Lee Curtis makes a memorable meal of her single scene as a mob boss.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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Ornery, bizarre, cantankerous, brilliant, talented, stubborn—all characters from our lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There is the nonchalant athleticism that belies impeccable instincts and an ornery competitiveness.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Sometimes he’d be sent out to deal with the more ornery guests in an effort to calm them.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilious. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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