bad-tempered

American  

[bad-tem-perd] / ˈbædˌtɛm pərd /

adjective

1. cross; cranky; surly; ill-tempered.

   a bad-tempered person.

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bad-tempered British  

adjective

1. angry, irritable, or ungracious

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Etymology

Origin of bad-tempered

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

He chose that particular name because “it conjured up someone old-fashioned and bad-tempered lamenting the state of the world through the window of a London club while clutching his glass of port.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

In a bad-tempered session at the Covid inquiry, the former health secretary repeatedly criticised the line of questioning describing it as "naive", "hostile" and "inappropriate".

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025

In Nigeria, for example, a small and bad-tempered snake called the West African carpet viper is responsible for most of the country's bites.

From Scientific American • Sep. 23, 2023

The game began innocuously enough but became increasingly bad-tempered, with the home side angered at having to replace goalkeeper Christian Abbiati following a clash with Crouch in the box.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2023

Already, even from the drawing room, it was possible to hear an occasional muffled bad-tempered shout and the clang of a saucepan hitting the hob with unnatural force.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan