Basic Details
Word: Irresistible
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: So attractive, tempting or strong that you cannot say no to it or stop it.
Synonyms: tempting, overwhelming, compelling, alluring
Antonyms: unappealing, resistible
How to Spell Irresistible
Syllables: ir - re - sist - i - ble
Tricky part: The prefix ir- meets the r of resist, giving a double r. The ending is -ible, not -able.
Watch out for: iresistible, irresistable, irrisistible
Memory tip: Resist keeps its full spelling in the middle. Put ir- before it and -ible after it: ir + resist + ible.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The smell of hot jalebis from the sweet shop was irresistible.
Example 2: The puppy's sad eyes were irresistible, so we took him home.
Example 3: An irresistible force of water broke through the old wall.
Fun Fact
The negative prefix ir- is used only before words that begin with r: irregular, irrelevant, irresponsible. It is the prefix in-, changed to ir- because that is easier to say before an r.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word irresistible as used in the sentence:
The aroma of fresh samosas at the station stall was irresistible.
a) delicious
b) spicy
c) tempting
d) unappealing
Show answer
d) unappealing. Tempting and delicious go with irresistible; unappealing means nobody wants it.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. irresistable 2. flexible 3. responsible 4. sensible
a) showing good sense
b) too tempting to say no to
c) able to bend easily
d) having a duty to take care of something
Show answer
b) too tempting to say no to. Resist takes -ible, the same ending as the three correct words in the list.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
i_resi_tible
a) e, s
b) r, s
c) e, c
d) r, c
Show answer
b) r, s. The prefix ir- doubles the r, and resist keeps its s.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If an offer is irresistible, you ____.
a) have never heard of it
b) must pay a fine for it
c) can hardly say no to it
d) can easily turn it down
Show answer
c) can hardly say no to it
2. Which prefix makes resistible negative?
a) dis-
b) im-
c) un-
d) ir-
Show answer
d) ir-
