Chinese word

焦躁

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiāo zào

Meaning

  • adjectiveirritable

Example

排队太久让我很焦躁。pái duì tài jiǔ ràng wǒ hěn jiāo zào

Waiting in line for so long makes me very irritable.

Illustration for 焦躁 (irritable)

More examples

他连续几天没睡好，变得越来越焦躁。tā lián xù jǐ tiān méi shuì hǎo biàn de yuè lái yuè jiāo zào

After sleeping poorly for several days, he became increasingly irritable.

Core concept

Pressure builds inside until calm attention gives way to fidgeting, impatience, and hurried action.

Common phrases

  • 对考试感到焦躁duì kǎo shì gǎn dào jiāo zào

    feel irritable about exams

  • 心里焦躁xīn lǐ jiāo zào

    feel restless inside

Similar words

焦虑jiāo lǜ: Feeling worried about what may happen in the future and unable to relax.
焦急jiāo jí: Feeling impatient and restless because something is taking too long and needs to happen soon.
不安bù ān: Feeling uneasy and unable to feel safe, settled, or at peace.

Definition in Chinese

短时间内出现的急躁和焦虑感，表现为心里烦乱、行动急促和难以安定。duǎn shí jiān nèi chū xiàn de jí zào hé jiāo lǜ gǎn biǎo xiàn wèi xīn lǐ fán luàn xíng dòng jí cù hé nán yǐ ān dìng

Word origin

焦 (jiāo, "scorched") + 躁 (zào, "agitated") combine the ideas of inner heat and unsettled movement, giving the word its sense of a mind that cannot calm down.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this adjective often describes a temporary reaction to waiting or a sudden problem, not a fixed personality trait.

Other meanings

  • restlessadjective
  • uneasyadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 焦躁不安jiāo zào bù ānrestless and uneasyidiom

Word lists with this word