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View synonyms for irascible

irascible

[ ih-ras-uh-buhl ]

adjective

  1. easily provoked to anger; very irritable:

    an irascible old man.

    Synonyms: short-tempered, choleric, peppery, touchy, testy

    Antonyms: even-tempered, calm

  2. characterized or produced by anger:

    an irascible response.

    Synonyms: short-tempered, choleric, peppery, touchy, testy

    Antonyms: even-tempered, calm



irascible

/ ɪˈræsɪbəl /

adjective

  1. easily angered; irritable
  2. showing irritability

    an irascible action

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • iˌrasciˈbility, noun
  • iˈrascibly, adverb
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Other Words From

  • i·rasci·bili·ty i·rasci·ble·ness noun
  • i·rasci·bly adverb
  • uni·rasci·bili·ty noun
  • uni·rasci·ble adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of irascible1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English irascibel from Late Latin īrāscibilis, equivalent to Latin īrāsc- (stem of īrāscī “to grow angry”; equivalent to īr(a) ire + -ā- theme vowel + -sc- inchoative suffix + infinitive ending; -esce ) + -ibilis -ible
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Word History and Origins

Origin of irascible1

C16: from Late Latin īrascibilis, from Latin īra anger
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

He was much more emotional, irascible and difficult, but also intellectually, he was changed.

The British establishment was furious, and it was the irascible Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who lead the fight-back.

He struggled with his brilliant but irascible secretary of state, William Seward, to control the direction of foreign policy.

Wagner, as irascible and cynical as he can be, is a subtly empathetic writer.

But he praised his irascible former partner as “an incredible asset not only to the company, but to the world.”

But science has a process for all of this—scientists tend to be irascible, doubting, and arrogant if not annoying.

These often complained, not only of her pride and reserve, but of her high and irascible temper and vindictive disposition.

There was never seen upon the stage a princess of so wild, irascible, and determined a character as this Clarice.

The irascible person, ready to take offence at trifles, and in other ways uncertain.

To dispositions highly irascible, it is frequently more gratifying to have a subject of complaint than of acknowledgment.

He is ambitious, irascible, a spoilt child of fortune; the most susceptible and the vainest of men.

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