short-tempered
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of short-tempered
First recorded in 1885–90
Vocabulary lists containing short-tempered
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.
When she gets home from work, she worries she can be too short-tempered with her children.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
My daughter added her laugh-out-loud imitations of me being overly bossy or short-tempered, and her grandma’s habit of asking whether we were on the right train and sitting in the right seats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
As Dick, the serious, short-tempered one, berated him for failing to acknowledge his error, he would scream in exasperation, “Mom always liked you best!”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
“We’ve all been hot, moody and short-tempered with each other,” Ms. Kim said, adding, “But we’re finding ways to have fun and entertain ourselves.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2023
Count Olaf was neither interesting nor kind; he was demanding, short-tempered, and bad-smelling.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
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.
