Reizbare

Reizbare is a Dutch adjective meaning easily stimulated or irritable. It describes something that reacts readily to stimuli, such as a tissue, nerve, or skin, as well as a person who becomes irritated or upset quickly. In medical and psychological contexts, reizbaar is used to refer to physiological reactivity, while in everyday language prikkelbaar is a common synonym when describing mood or temperament.

Origin and related terms: The word is formed from a stem related to stimulus and the suffix -baar, meaning “able to be.” A closely related term in Dutch is prikkelbaar, which also conveys irritability or sensitivity to stimuli. The noun form reizbaarheid denotes irritability or susceptibility to stimulation, and it is used to discuss the quality in a more general sense.

Usage and nuance: Reizbare is commonly encountered in technical or clinical writing, for example describing a “reizbare zenuw” (irritable nerve) that reacts strongly to stimuli. Prikkelbaar is more frequently used in everyday speech to describe a person’s mood or quickness to anger, while reizbare emphasizes a physiological or reflexive reactivity. The wordreizbaarheid and related phrases help distinguish between bodily reactivity and emotional responsiveness in Dutch discourse.

See also: irritability; sensitivity; prikkelbaarheid.