captiousness

noun

as in irritableness

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for captiousness
  1. irritability
  2. fractiousness
  3. crankiness
  4. acidity
  5. petulance
  6. grouchiness
  7. testiness
Noun
  • Eating earlier than noon could lead to hunger before dinner, while waiting too long to eat lunch may increase fatigue or irritability.
    — Trista Chan, HEALTH, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Some people also report low mood, irritability, or even depressed states.
    — Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritability
Noun
  • Household names such as Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner get their due, as well as others whose talent, determination, and, yes, fractiousness cement their place in the canon, including the otherworldly Grace Jones, the salsa queen Celia Cruz, and the triple threat Rita Moreno.
    — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
  • Although much of the country’s instability is rooted in its internal fractiousness and troubled transition from monarchy to republican democracy, many Nepalis believe India’s meddling has deepened their endemic political crisis.
    — MUHIB RAHMAN, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025
Definition of fractiousness
Noun
  • How to handle it A lot of Virgo’s crankiness can be soothed with helping them get organized and practice self-compassion.
    — Maressa Brown, Parents, 18 June 2026
  • Bumping into someone wasn’t met with frustration, but with a grin and a comment about the Knicks, as if the entire city had agreed to give each other a pass from the stereotypical crankiness for one single night.
    — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 14 June 2026
Definition of crankiness
Noun
  • The best wine for tailgating is often a crisp, dry rosé because of its versatility, refreshing acidity and ability to pair with a wide range of football season’s favorite finger foods.
    — Katie Kelly Bell, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • There’s powerful minerality with a bright burst of delightful acidity in the finish.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of acidity
Noun
  • Even Wilfried Zaha, with all his on-pitch petulance, never allowed standards to slip.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Cusick and Kretschmann offer complementary chords of variable petulance and insecurity, as newcomer Cuoso ably negotiates her character’s shifting ambiguities.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of petulance
Noun
  • Vince Gilligan moved to Apple and returned to his X-Files roots for the sci-fi horror dramatic comedy Pluribus, which used its ultra-mysterious and yet ultra-familiar genre trappings for a droll meditation on the eternal clash between collective joy and individual grouchiness.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
  • Emily is also struggling with Annabelle, who has inherited her mom’s attitude and the grouchiness of any adolescent forced to grow up with an Evolution Media camera crew in her home.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Definition of grouchiness
Noun
  • The Warriors trailed by 11 points after a first quarter notable mostly for some late Golden State testiness.
    — Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Corbett said the testiness started in Florida and returned with the team to Charlotte.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of testiness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

captiously
captiousness
captivate
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Cite this Entry

“Captiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captiousness. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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