irritability
Americannoun
plural
irritabilities-
the quality or state of being irritable.
-
Physiology, Biology. the ability to be excited to a characteristic action or function by the application of some stimulus.
Protoplasm displays irritability by responding to heat.
Other Word Forms
- nonirritability noun
- superirritability noun
Etymology
Origin of irritability
From the Latin word irrītābilitās, dating back to 1745–55. See irritable, -ity
Vocabulary lists containing irritability
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.
The researchers found a gene linked to this trait that, in humans, is associated with irritability, emotional sensitivity, and 'seeing the doctor for nerves or anxiety.'
From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026
Dementia tends to be thought of mostly as a memory-loss disease, but there are many other aspects, including disorientation, difficulty balancing, poor coordination, trouble multitasking, confusion, wandering, apathy, irritability, impulsivity, poor judgment, and social inappropriateness.
From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026
People with autism may take medication to reduce anxiety, address attention problems, or reduce severe irritability.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
Your frustration and irritability is a sign that your boundaries are being pushed: your emotional, familial and financial boundaries.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025
Near the window, hidden by the dark, he felt the irritability of the day drain from him and relished the effortless beauty of the women singing in the candlelight.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
