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
-
The Panthers’ illuminating and irritating game defined their full identity.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
10 June 2025
-
Absences through injury have been an irritating constant throughout Welbeck’s career.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Mow At Convenient Times There's nothing quite as annoying as enjoying a peaceful slumber on Saturday morning, only to wake up to the sound of a roaring lawn mower.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
-
There’s nothing more annoying than a show about waiting for something to happen.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
However, managing their ripeness can be a frustrating endeavor.—
Maryal Miller Carter,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
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This year’s mayoral race has so far been a strange, frustrating exercise.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
The withdrawn teen obsessively draws dark spiders in class and shows a disturbing fixation on news reports of school shootings.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 June 2025
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His disturbing legacy drew the attention of filmmaker and former HBO executive Kary Antholis, who had followed the case for decades.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebarbative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebarbative. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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