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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Recent Examples of irritability
About 4 in 10 women experience mood symptoms including low energy, irritability and difficulty concentrating that, unlike PMS, can occur for years with no predictable pattern.
—
Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The term is commonly used to describe irritability or mood changes caused by not eating enough, particularly in children and teenagers with fast metabolisms.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Restricting them can increase irritability, low mood, food preoccupation, and risk of binge eating.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2026
Sleep also plays a major role in emotional regulation and cognitive performance as insufficient sleep can impair attention, decision-making and reaction time while also increasing irritability and sensitivity to stress.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritability
Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The term is commonly used to describe irritability or mood changes caused by not eating enough, particularly in children and teenagers with fast metabolisms.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Restricting them can increase irritability, low mood, food preoccupation, and risk of binge eating.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2026
Sleep also plays a major role in emotional regulation and cognitive performance as insufficient sleep can impair attention, decision-making and reaction time while also increasing irritability and sensitivity to stress.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irritability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritability
Noun
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Another day, as Mom loads the children into the car, Jeremy tosses a basketball against the house, again and again, his passive aggression registering through the ball’s unyielding thuds and his own frozen gaze.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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Sources have told The Star that KU’s coaching staff believed in his potential but wanted to see more physicality and aggression from him.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, her production dipped late in the year, particularly in SEC play, as her aggressiveness attacking the rim declined.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
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Colorado’s aggressiveness with trading away draft picks and prospects to help the NHL club’s pursuit of a Stanley Cup has often left the organization’s pipeline thin, but also provides opportunities for undrafted players like Logan O’Connor and Sam Malinski to earn chances and thrive.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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And after confusion came anger.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Poor sleep leads to more than just crankiness A cranky kid after a bad night’s sleep is bad enough.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The screen protector maintains vibrant, accurate screen colors and touch sensitivity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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The rest is mostly a question of timing and sensitivity.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Sure, the Oscar-winning makeup helps transform the actor into Cheney, but the voice and petulance are all Bale, whose conjuring of this scoundrel ought to trigger PTSD for anyone who survived the Dubya years.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
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Warren deserves kudos for bucking the trend of petulance exhibited by too many Democrats that night.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Lebanese officials have pushed for a ceasefire, while Israel has framed the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a potential peace deal, without publicly committing to halting hostilities or withdrawing its forces.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Thanks to the religious hostilities that burst open in the late sixteenth century, the prevailing hue is blood.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irritability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritability. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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