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Irish

American  
[ahy-rish] / ˈaɪ rɪʃ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

  1. the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.

  2. the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.

  3. Also called Irish Gaelic.  the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. Ir, Ir.

  4. Irish English.

  5. Irish whiskey.

idioms

  1. get one's Irish up, to become angry or outraged.

    Don't go getting your Irish up over a little matter like that.
Irish British  
/ ˈaɪrɪʃ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English

  2. informal ludicrous or illogical

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland

  2. another name for Irish Gaelic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Irish More Idioms  

  1. see luck of the devil (Irish).

Sensitive Note

See Irish pennant.

Other Word Forms

  • Irishly adverb
  • anti-Irish adjective
  • half-Irish adjective
  • non-Irish adjective
  • pre-Irish adjective
  • pro-Irish adjective
  • pseudo-Irish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Irish

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English Yrisse, Iris(c)h; compare Old English Īras people of Ireland (cognate with Old Norse Īrar ); -ish 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Former Irish president Michael D Higgins presented Brennan with an RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and said her "name would be forever etched into the history of Irish music".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The Irish government, majority owner of PTSB, will recoup 930.7 million euros from the sale of its 57.5% stake.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

“I guess it’s just luck of the Irish or something,” he said after that one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Irish police chief Justin Kelly said the action was taken as a last resort.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Some pointed a finger at Irish union leaders who did not see eye to eye with Kikulski.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.