irascible

[ ih-ras-uh-buhl ]
See synonyms for: irascibleirascibilityirascibleness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. easily provoked to anger; very irritable: an irascible old man.

  2. characterized or produced by anger: an irascible response.

Origin of irascible

1
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; see -esce) + -ibilis -ible

synonym study For irascible

1, 2. See irritable.

Other words for irascible

Opposites for irascible

Other words from irascible

  • 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

Words that may be confused with irascible

Words Nearby irascible

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How to use irascible in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for irascible

irascible

/ (ɪˈræsɪbəl) /


adjective
  1. easily angered; irritable

  2. showing irritability: an irascible action

Origin of irascible

1
C16: from Late Latin īrascibilis, from Latin īra anger

Derived forms of irascible

  • irascibility or irascibleness, noun
  • irascibly, adverb

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