IRRITABILITIES Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

irritability

noun

ˌir-ə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

Definition of irritability

as in irritableness

readiness to show annoyance or impatience the librarian's well-known irritability makes students hesitant to ask questions

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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 irritability Flying on an empty stomach is also a bad idea, experts say, because low blood sugar can contribute to fatigue, irritability and dizziness during travel. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026 Kooij says women with ADHD whose symptoms increase during this stage may describe losing control over mood, irritability, sleep and focus. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 7 July 2026 Giving your body a chance to relax with floor time can interrupt stress and give the body a chance to recharge, which could reduce feelings of irritability or distress. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 6 July 2026 Intense exercise on a sizzling day can lead to extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration, all symptoms of exertional heat illness. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritability

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritability

Noun

Even absent Chinese aggression, people in Taiwan increasingly identify as Taiwanese and do not seem inclined to repeat Hong Kong’s experience of acquiescing to Chinese rule.

— Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
On the night of the last game at the old stadium, a 3-2 victory against Manchester United on May 10, 2016, nobody — not the police, the local community, not the club — expected the outpouring of emotion and aggression.

— Lee Clayton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggression

Noun

If Yesavage can maintain that aggressiveness over the rest of the season, the Jays won’t have to worry about their funky righty.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Cannon breaks down the accountability, aggressiveness and the perspective needed to play effective defense after the team’s reset week.

— John W. Davis, Oc Register, 5 July 2026

Definition of aggressiveness

Noun

Gallup polling found Gen Z’s anger toward AI rose from 22% to 31% over the past year, even as regular usage held roughly steady around half of the cohort, meaning a generation that keeps using a tool it’s increasingly frustrated with.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Before the recording was played, Judge William Sullivan warned jurors not to allow sympathy, anger, passion or pity to influence their verdict.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of anger

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

But researchers told me that the qualities women now value more than ever—sensitivity, openness, communication skills—are not typically ingrained in men from childhood.

— Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
As for headlight alignment, the higher intensities and contrasts of LED lights mean greater sensitivity to misalignment than halogen lights.

— Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of sensitivity

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

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
France’s challenges came from external provocation, first the petulance of the Paraguayan team, but then comments widely condemned as racist by a Paraguayan politician.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of petulance

Noun

On the obverse of this hostility is a genuine love of life, at least in some of its forms.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Given the extent of the disruption to oil exports from the Middle East since the start of hostilities between Washington and Tehran, most of the hikes announced by OPEC+ since March have had a negligible impact on the physical crude market.

— Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of hostility

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irrigating

irritability

irritable

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“Irritability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritability. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of irritability

noun

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