snappish
Americanadjective
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apt to snap or bite, as a dog.
-
disposed to speak or reply in an impatient or irritable manner.
-
impatiently or irritably sharp; curt.
a snappish reply.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of snappish
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.
Sometimes he was snappish, and sometimes just whiny, but always bristling.
From Salon • Jan. 23, 2024
That means that when characters are being snappish, they lack the charm that should keep us rooting for them.
From Washington Post • Jun. 27, 2022
Lulu has been traumatized by her experiences on the front lines and is skittish and snappish.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 17, 2022
Mr. Pryce pours himself into every cranny of his character’s contradictions: sometimes snappish, sometimes pathetic, always transparent.
From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2019
As a result, their caretakers and fellow creatures give them a wide berth, which only makes them more lonely, mistrustful, and snappish than before.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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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.