as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
a bilious old dog who snaps at everyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
her biliousness was such that most people simply avoided her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Camp Century exemplifies human ingenuity and engineering prowess as exploration continues, highlighting such bilious undertakings with foreseen and long-lasting consequences.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Jan. 2025
Everyone within her radius bears the germophobe’s wrath, with the only one who can occasionally pierce through her bilious anger being her upbeat hair-stylist sister Chantal (Michelle Austin), a mother of two vibrant daughters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2025
That pleasurable little paradox can be traced as far back as the 1952 classic melodrama The Bad and the Beautiful, or as recently as 2022's bilious Babylon.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bilious
Adjective
The death chamber is nine feet by twelve feet, painted a bilious turquoise.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Camp Century exemplifies human ingenuity and engineering prowess as exploration continues, highlighting such bilious undertakings with foreseen and long-lasting consequences.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Jan. 2025
Everyone within her radius bears the germophobe’s wrath, with the only one who can occasionally pierce through her bilious anger being her upbeat hair-stylist sister Chantal (Michelle Austin), a mother of two vibrant daughters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2025
That pleasurable little paradox can be traced as far back as the 1952 classic melodrama The Bad and the Beautiful, or as recently as 2022's bilious Babylon.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilious
Adjective
-
But a new wrench is thrown into the works in the form of an irritable downstairs neighbor.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 June 2025
-
When a muscle is injured or put under extra stress, myofascial trigger points—basically, irritable spots in the muscle—can form and cause pain.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Dehydration can worsen feelings of anxiety and irritability.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
-
Common issues include sleep problems, appetite loss, irritability, and mood swings.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The jury has been shown transcripts of angry emails and text messages between Serafini and his wife’s parents that show a heated, ongoing dispute over a $1.3 million loan from his in-laws to help fund his wife’s fledgling horse ranch business.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
-
Republican lawmakers were also angry when the Southern Association warned that a 2021 presidential search at Florida State University may violate accrediting standards.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
-
Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Befriending Cressida Cowper is a respectable exercise in recognizing biases, but the pair’s interactions are as disagreeable as those bangs.—
Zoe Haylock,
Vulture,
16 May 2024
-
If Alex has a bit more credibility, not being as intractable in her positions, both have a tendency to come off as disagreeable in their incessant bickering and self-righteousness.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Post isn’t as great as All the President’s Men — this movie is sort of like its prequel — but its cast is superb, especially Tom Hanks as a cantankerous Bill Bradlee and Meryl Streep as a conflicted Kay Graham.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
-
Her cantankerous dad undoubtedly gets the best zingers.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Kitty: And grandpa, oh, who is like a lovely but ornery Irish man, Sean: takes one look at the Harry Krishnas, looks at dad like, looks at the Christians again.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
11 June 2025
-
But when Chief, the ornery stray, gets overruled into helping his pack assist a boy who’s crash-landed on their trash island, Cranston really nails it.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilious. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share