short-tempered

[ shawrt-tem-perd ]

/ ˈʃɔrtˈtɛm pərd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR short-tempered ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having a quick, hasty temper; irascible.

Nearby words

short-sighted, short-spoken, short-staffed, short-tailed shearwater, short-tailed shrew, short-tempered, short-term, short-term exposure limit, short-term memory, short-termism, short-timer

Origin of short-tempered

First recorded in 1885–90

SYNONYMS FOR short-tempered

irritable, testy, choleric, waspish.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR short-tempered ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for short-tempered

“I wish to apologize for being so short-tempered this morning,” he began.
The Cricket|Marjorie Cooke
The examiner too could be impulsive, was indeed apt to be short-tempered.
The Roll-Call|Arnold Bennett
The officer, who appeared to be short-tempered, glanced again at the form and then looked quickly at him.
If Winter Comes|A.S.M. Hutchinson
All of them are short-tempered, and the bars of their captivity not too strong.
From Sea to Sea|Rudyard Kipling

I have heard Japanese say that "foreigners are short-tempered because they eat so much meat."
The Foundations of Japan|J.W. Robertson Scott

British Dictionary definitions for short-tempered

short-tempered

adjective

easily moved 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