Merriam - Webster Word of the day * irascible *

irascible

adjective
iras·​ci·​ble i-ˈra-sə-bəl
Synonyms of irascible
: marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger
irascibility
i-ˌra-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun
irascibleness
i-ˈra-sə-bəl-nəs
noun
irascibly
i-ˈra-sə-blē
adverb


Did you know?
Irascible Has an Angry History

If you try to take apart irascible on the model of irrational, irresistible, and irresponsible you might find yourself wondering what ascible means—but that's not how irascible came to be. The key to the meaning of irascible isn't the negating prefix ir- (which is the form of the prefix in- that is used before words beginning with "r"), but rather the Latin noun ira, meaning "anger." From ira, which is also the root of irate and ire, came the Latin verb irasci ("to become angry") and the related adjective irascibilis, the latter of which led to the French word irascible. English speakers borrowed the word from French in the 16th century.


Synonyms
choleric
crabby
cranky
cross
crotchety
fiery
grouchy
grumpy
irritable
peevish
perverse
pettish
petulant
prickly
quick-tempered
raspy
ratty
short-tempered
snappish
snappy
snarky
snippety
snippy
stuffy
testy
waspish

Examples of irascible in a Sentence
an irascible old football coach
He has an irascible disposition.
Recent Examples on the Web
One key figure in the campaign was the irascible Des Moines Register writer Donald Kaul, who continually revisited the issue in his columns.
—Joshua Kagavi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Oct. 2023
In a bizarre episode, the irascible Jones just walked off the field Aug. 3 following a contentious rep.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Lauria and Long bring this sometimes irascible, always engaging couple to vivid life.
—Terry Byrne, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irascible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.


Word History
Etymology
Middle French, from Late Latin irascibilis, from Latin irasci to become angry, be angry, from ira

First Known Use
circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irascible was circa 1530