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irrepressibly

irrepressibly

1 7.0
In a way that cannot be stopped or controlled
  • adverb
  • /ˌɪrɪˈprɛsəblɪ/
translation icon : irreprimiblemente
  • The child's laughter was irrepressibly joyful, filling the room with happiness.
  • irrepressibly cheerful

Examples

  • The Keepers of the House is exquisite in everything from its sultry and at times disturbing language to its irrepressibly keen examination of race relations in the American South.

    Blog text (21)
  • Her own mischief struck her as irrepressibly funny, and she gritted her teeth to keep from laughing.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • They were supposed to rest, but were irrepressibly excited.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Zenia represents what is irrepressibly other within each character's self.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The look was of speed and lightness but was irrepressibly feminine.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Though less numerous than some hagiographies claim, these Christian martyrs became irrepressibly famous.

  • But not even the irrepressibly optimistic Ronald Reagan could claim to have reconstructed a procedural foreign policy consensus.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Irrepressibly, Piemur grinned at that evidence of his friend's nervousness.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Yet, being Jack, being irrepressibly buoyant, by the end of the song, he has completely worked himself back up from grief very nearly to exuberance—he must save Santa!

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Tall and impressively muscled, clad in a dark suit and crisp fedora, the fellow strolled alongside Sparky with a sober yet irrepressibly jaunty air.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

uncontrollably
vsirrepressibly
26 5.6

You cannot stop doing something because of strong feeling

is identical in meaning with no difference
unstoppably
vsirrepressibly
1 4.5

Nothing can stop it

emphasizes inability to be controlled or restrained rather than only unstoppable

Antonyms

In a way that can be steered or kept within limits

How Controllable

irrepressibly
1 7.0

Surface Forms

irrepressibly positive

Morphology

irrepressibly = irrepressible (transparent) = ir + repress + ible + ly

Formed by adding the adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'irrepressible', which clearly means 'not able to be repressed'.

Etymology

Irrepressibly starts with ir- meaning 'not' and combines re- 'back' with press meaning 'to push', the same idea you see in the everyday words press and pressure. So, to do something irrepressibly is to do it in a way that cannot be pushed back or stopped — it bursts out without control.