Meaning & use
irresistible
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
So attractive or tempting that you cannot say no to it.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: an irresistible offer; the cake looked irresistible.
Patterns
- irresistible to someone
- find something irresistible
The smell of fresh bread was irresistible.
She found his sense of humor irresistible.
The sale prices were irresistible to bargain hunters.
adjectivebefore a noun
Too strong to be stopped or fought against.
Grammar: Used with force, urge, or tide.
Patterns
- an irresistible urge
- an irresistible force
He felt an irresistible urge to laugh during the ceremony.
The irresistible force of the flood tore down the barrier.
Public pressure became irresistible.
Word forms
| comparative | more irresistible |
|---|---|
| superlative | most irresistible |
Common combinations
- irresistible urge
- She felt an irresistible urge to peek inside the box.
- irresistible charm
- The puppy had an irresistible charm.
- irresistible offer
- The company made an irresistible offer to the young designer.
- almost irresistible
- The chocolate was almost irresistible.
- find it irresistible
- Children find a muddy puddle irresistible.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tempting
- Tempting says you may be drawn to it, but you can still refuse, while irresistible says you cannot.
- compelling
- Compelling suggests a strong reason or pull that holds attention, such as an argument or story.
- alluring
- Alluring is more literary and focuses on charm and mystery.
- overwhelming
- Overwhelming describes something too big to withstand, but not necessarily attractive.
Opposites
Word family
- irresistibly adverb
- in a way that cannot be resisted
- irresistibility noun
- the quality of being impossible to resist
- resist verb
- to refuse to give in to something
- resistible adjective
- possible to resist
- resistance noun
- the act of resisting
Commonly confused: irresistible or irresponsible?
irresistible vs irresponsible
Irresponsible means not careful or reliable, which is unrelated to being tempting.
Practice
The aroma from the bakery was so ____ that we went in even though we had just eaten.
Choose one answer.
Irresistible fits something so tempting that you cannot refuse it. Irrelevant, irregular, and irritable do not describe a tempting smell.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irresistible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.