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Synonyms

quick-tempered

American  
[kwik-tem-perd] / ˈkwɪkˈtɛm pərd /

adjective

  1. easily angered.

    Synonyms:
    irascible, churlish, testy, quarrelsome
quick-tempered British  

adjective

  1. readily roused to anger; irascible

"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

Etymology

Origin of quick-tempered

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He told the jury that Shannon was "quick-tempered".

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025

Those who have met Burhan describe him as terse and quick-tempered.

From Reuters • May 5, 2023

Palleschi said she came to know Flores as quick-tempered and prone to fits of anger over parking and his dogs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2021

He was restless and enthusiastic, quick and quick-tempered.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2018

“Do you know, I think be is one of the nicest people at court Gawaine is decent, but he is quick-tempered and rather unforgiving.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.