irritabelt

Irritabelt is a term used in Scandinavian languages to describe someone or something that is easily irritated. In Norwegian and Danish, irritabelt functions as an adjective meaning prone to irritation, often applied to people, animals, or situations. It is commonly used to express a temporary mood as well as a more persistent temper. In everyday speech, a short-tempered person may be described as irritabelt; in clinical or psychological contexts, irritability or emotional reactivity may be discussed, sometimes using translated phrases where irritabelt conveys that sense.

In Norwegian, a common example is et irritabelt barn (an irritable child). In Danish, the term appears in similar contexts to describe temperament or reaction to provocation. The word also appears in bilingual texts and medical translations to convey the concept of irritability.

Etymology: irritabelt derives from Latin irritabilis or irritare, through the broader family of European words for provoking or irritating. Cognates include English irritate and irritability, as well as related terms in other languages.

See also: irritability, irritable, temperament, mood, tolerance, hypersensitivity.

Notes: This article describes the general usage of irritabelt in Scandinavian contexts; usage and inflection may vary by dialect and formality.