irritable

/'iritəbl/

Thân thiện

The toddler becomes irritable when he misses his afternoon nap.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Easily annoyed or angered: Describes a person who becomes upset, impatient, or angry with little provocation.
   • Abnormally sensitive to stimulation: Describes a part of the body or a physiological condition that reacts excessively or painfully to normal stimuli.
   • Capable of responding to stimuli: A biological term describing living tissue that can react to external influences.

Usage and Examples

• Describing a person's mood or temperament:
  • After missing his morning coffee, he became very irritable.
  • Lack of sleep can make anyone feel irritable.
• Describing a physical condition:
  • The patient has an irritable bowel, which is aggravated by certain foods.
  • The skin around the wound was red and irritable.
• Biological context:
  • Nerve cells are highly irritable tissues.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Irritable mood": A temporary state of being easily annoyed.
  • She apologized for her irritable mood, blaming it on stress.
• Medical/Scientific Terminology: Often used in terms like "irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)" or "irritable bladder," where an organ is functionally oversensitive.

Variants and Related Words

• Irritability (n): The quality or state of being irritable.
  • His constant irritability was a sign of underlying anxiety.
• Irritably (adv): In an irritable manner.
  • "Not now," she said irritably.

Synonyms

• Testy: Easily annoyed; bad-tempered.
• Cantankerous: Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
• Peevish: Easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
• Tetchy: Irritable and touchy.
• Fractious (as in the reference): Irritable and quarrelsome.

Antonyms

• Easygoing: Relaxed and tolerant in attitude or manner.
• Placid: Not easily upset or excited.
• Good-natured: Kind, patient, and tolerant.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To have an irritable disposition: To have a personality that is naturally prone to becoming easily annoyed.
  • He has an irritable disposition, so choose your words carefully.
• Irritated vs. Irritable: Note the distinction. "Irritated" describes a temporary state of being annoyed. "Irritable" describes a lasting tendency or condition to become irritated easily.
  • She was irritated by the noise. (A single event)
  • He is an irritable person. (A character trait)

Học thuật

Adjective

1. capable of responding to stimuli
2. abnormally sensitive to a stimulus
3. easily irritated or annoyed
   • an incorrigibly fractious young man
   • not the least nettlesome of his countrymen

Từ đồng nghĩa

• excitable