irritable

[ir-i-tuh-buhl] / ˈɪr ɪ tə bəl /

ADJECTIVE

bad-tempered, crabby

Synonyms

STRONGEST

annoyed contentious exasperated fractious petulant prickly resentful surly testy

WEAK

bearish brooding cantankerous carping choleric complaining crabbed cross crotchety disputatious dissatisfied dyspeptic easily offended fiery fretful fretting gloomy grouchy grumbling hasty hot huffy hypercritical ill-humored irascible moody morose out of humor oversensitive peevish plaintive querulous quick-tempered sensitive snappy snarling tense touchy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

happy pleasant

WEAK

cheerful nice

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.

"I could tell my dopamine was shot because I was irritable and didn't want to answer basic questions about my day."

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Selina had been so concerned about her daughter she asked for a blood test; doctors thought she must have irritable bowel syndrome.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

A person may also become extremely confused and paranoid, easily upset, moody and irritable.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

This imbalance has been linked to long-term conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and anxiety and depression.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

It requires that she work the higher-paying twelve-hour night shifts that keep her away from her family for long stretches and leave her tired and irritable when she’s with them.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

irritable

Example Sentences

Related Words