irrepressible

[ ir-i-pres-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. incapable of being repressed or restrained; uncontrollable:

   irrepressible laughter.

irrepressible

/ ˌɪrɪˈprɛsəbəl /

adjective

1. not capable of being repressed, controlled, or restrained

Derived Forms

• ˌirreˈpressibly, adverb
• ˌirreˌpressiˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• irre·pressi·bili·ty irre·pressi·ble·ness noun
• irre·pressi·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of irrepressible¹

First recorded in 1805–15; ir- ² + repressible ( def )

Example Sentences

Christopher Rountree, the irrepressibly upbeat founder and music director of Wild Up, had other ideas.

From Los Angeles Times

Harris’ irrepressible, gorgeous grin symbolizes the shift and sums it up perfectly.

From Salon

Who would want to be uptight when you could be irrepressible?

From Salon

Wildwood officials did not give details about individual incidents that led to the 6-hour overnight closure of the boardwalk but said there was “an irrepressible number” of calls for help to the police department.

From Seattle Times

Despite all, Odesa maintains an irrepressible offbeat humor.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boisterous
• buoyant
• ebullient
• exuberant
• rebellious
• uncontrollable
• unrestrained
• unstoppable