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
-
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Here's where things get a bit irritating.—
Justin Pot,
PC Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Each individual increase feels tolerable – annoying, maybe, but not catastrophic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The consequences of all this information range from mildly annoying to very serious.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The delay has been frustrating, given that a large office-retail building in the complex is ready to open, but the facility can’t receive a certificate of occupancy from the city of Lee’s Summit until the intersection work is finished, Brown said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
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Now, as a 30-something man who long since had the creativity sapped out of him by life, this was mildly frustrating at first.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Drama stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a young couple whose lives and upcoming wedding are thrown into disarray when the latter drunkenly reveals a disturbing secret from her past.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The details her 10-year-old daughter provided were disturbing for any parent to hear.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebarbative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebarbative. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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