irritability
/ˌɪɹɪtəˈbɪlɪti/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.76 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
6
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A natural susceptibility, characteristic of all living organisms, tissues, and cells, to the influence of certain stimuli, response being manifested in a variety of ways.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A condition of morbid excitability of an organ or part of the body; undue susceptibility to the influence of stimuli.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "irritability of temper"
- "Blue No. 1 and yellow No. 6 may also be toxic to some human cells. And as little as 1 milligram of yellow dye No. 5 may cause irritability, restlessness and sleep disturbances for sensitive children."
- "We find a renitency in ourselves to ascribe life and irritability to the cold and motionless fibres of plants."
- "There is growth only in plants; but there is irritability, or, a better word, instinctivity, in insects."
Etymology
From Latin irritabilitās, equivalent to irritable + -ity.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: irritabilitās