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

Derived Forms

• iˌrasciˈbility, noun
• iˈrascibly, adverb

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

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 + -ī infinitive ending; -esce ) + -ibilis -ible

Word History and Origins

Origin of irascible¹

C16: from Late Latin īrascibilis, from Latin īra anger

Synonym Study

See irritable.

Example Sentences

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

From Nautilus

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cantankerous
• cranky
• feisty
• grouchy
• passionate
• surly
• testy
• uptight