irritability

UK/ˌɪɹɪtəˈbɪlɪti/US/ˌɪɹɪtəˈbɪlɪti/

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,690 of 15,258neutral

Irritability is being easily annoyed by small things. Increased irritability, irritability and fatigue, a sign of irritability.

It is a symptom as well as a temperament: hunger, poor sleep, pain and several conditions all produce it, which is why doctors ask about it. In biology, irritability is the ability of a living thing to respond to a stimulus, which is a neutral technical sense. Note irritable, irritate.

Definitions of irritability

1nounirritabilityBeing easily annoyed by small things.B2+
“Her irritability got worse during exams, and the smallest noise made her snap at us.”

irritability is a state of annoyance.

Where it comes from

Latin irritabilitas comes from irritare, to provoke. Irritate and irritant come from the same provoking.

Latin
irritabilitās
English, today
irritability

From Latin irritabilitās, equivalent to irritable + -ity.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Mental Health & Wellbeing

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irritability in the wild

Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure.
Sedation
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include irritability, fatigue, shaking, sweating, and nausea.
Drug withdrawal
Withdrawal from nicotine can cause irritability, fatigue, insomnia, headache, and difficulty concentrating.
Drug withdrawal
The property of being easily annoyed is called irritability.
Annoyance
Cabin fever is the distressing irritability or restlessness experienced when a person, or group, is stuck at an isolated location or in confined quarters for an extended time.
Cabin fever

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

irritable

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