IRRITABILITY 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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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 irritability Still, multitasking can lead to careless errors, irritability or burnout, so take it easy. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Professionals must recognize early signs of overwork, such as fatigue or irritability, as crucial data to prevent burnout. — Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Such symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, mood swings and insomnia. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 June 2026 Severe symptoms include crying without tears, extreme irritability, fewer wet diapers, vomiting or diarrhoea, and sunken eyes or forehead. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for irritability

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritability

Noun

What if Penelope’s waiting is her own form of aggression, a way of holding a space, for as long as possible, that excludes the men and their own attempts at power?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
When scientists temporarily disabled mole-rats’ olfactory sensory neurons with chemicals, the aggression towards strangers disappeared.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 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

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
Such petulance does not merit responsible high public office.

— Letters to the Editor, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026

Definition of petulance

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irritability

irritable

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“Irritability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritability. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of irritability

noun

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