as in irritating
causing annoyance
there are aspects of that writer's personality that any reasonable person would regard as rebarbative, but we're just reading his novels—not marrying him
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Recent Examples of rebarbative
Why not place a bet on Tala Madani, whose desultory drawing and wildly rebarbative conceits might have the impact at the Met that artists like Matisse once had in Paris?
—
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
One wonders why a skinny, rebarbative marionette should be getting so much attention.
—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022
But Krugman can also sound like a cross between a bloodthirsty Robespierre and a rebarbative GIF.
—Sebastian Mallaby, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2020
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
One wonders why a skinny, rebarbative marionette should be getting so much attention.
—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022
But Krugman can also sound like a cross between a bloodthirsty Robespierre and a rebarbative GIF.
—Sebastian Mallaby, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebarbative
Adjective
-
If certain emulsifiers are especially gentle on the gut, the food industry could use them to replace the ones that might be more irritating.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2025
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But, there are also some unnecessary (potentially irritating) extras—eucalyptus oil, parfum, and benzyl alcohol.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
Wired News,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Josh — Earnings season is super annoying for trend-following investment strategies.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
14 July 2025
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After witnesses identified him as the man who made the gestures, he was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County jail on charges of contacting a minor with intent to commit a lewd act and annoying or molesting a child.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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That said, diving into AI without a plan can be frustrating.—
Janet Lam,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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The delays were frustrating, made more complicated by hospitalizations and evaluations that didn’t always address the root of what Avery was experiencing.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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This is a disturbing statistic and speaks to an increase in the total number of people defacing themselves, but also a rise in the amount of ink per person.—
Scott Liftman,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
-
The board of the Regional Transportation Authority met Friday to discuss ways to respond to the cut, striking a note of optimism to counter the disturbing prediction for Tri-Rail’s future.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebarbative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebarbative. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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