irascible
Say it: ih-RASS-ih-bul /ɪˈrasɪb(ə)l/ · adjective
What “irascible” means
Getting angry very easily.
More precisely: Easily made angry; quick-tempered.
Example: “The irascible landlord shouts at anyone who parks near his garage.”
When to use it
When someone loses their temper over small annoyances. A critical, fairly formal word often used in character descriptions.
Memory trick
Latin ira means anger: remember the anger hiding inside irascible.
Similar words
short-tempered, testy, touchy
Where it comes from
From Latin irascibilis, from irasci 'to grow angry', from ira 'anger'.
Quick check
A tiny squeak from a chair makes your uncle snap angrily at everyone nearby. He is…
irascible or assertive?
Show the answer
irascible
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