irascible

[ih-ras-uh-buh l] /ɪˈræs ə bəl/
adjective
1.
easily provoked to anger; very irritable:
an irascible old man.
2.
characterized or produced by anger:
an irascible response.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English irascibel < Late Latin īrāscibilis, equivalent to Latin īrāsc- (stem of īrāscī to grow angry; equivalent to īr(a) ire + -ā- theme vowel + -sc- inchoative suffix + -ī infinitive ending; see -esce) + -ibilis -ible
Related forms
irascibility, irascibleness, noun
irascibly, adverb
unirascibility, noun
unirascible, adjective
Can be confused
erasable, irascible.
Synonyms
1, 2. testy, touchy, peppery, choleric, short-tempered. See irritable.
Antonyms
1, 2. calm, even-tempered.
Examples from the web for irascible
  • He was a little quicktempered and irascible, and people were apt to think him cross and crabbed, but he had a kind heart.
  • But the irascible old militia colonel was there to oppose it, and his harsh arguments disappointed his colleagues.
  • He was moreover, as the reader may perhaps have conceived, somewhat irascible in his nature.
  • There's something eerily irascible about this photo.
  • We all know that newspaper's frontpages are put together by crusty, irascible, but ultimately lovable editors.
  • Still, this newly unearthed concert is notable for the ebullience of its often irascible leader.
  • He's an irascible old codger, and usually spot on in his pronouncements.
  • Clearly, he has been made irascible by taunts about his doomsday no-shows.
  • He had the ability to upset people with his irascible manner and then charm them all over again.
  • The irascible old individualist makes his life sound dully plausible and pat.
British Dictionary definitions for irascible

irascible

/ɪˈræsɪbəl/
adjective
1.
easily angered; irritable
2.
showing irritability: an irascible action
Derived Forms
irascibility, irascibleness, noun
irascibly, adverb
Word Origin
C16: from Late Latin īrascibilis, from Latin īra anger
Word Origin and History for irascible
adj.

late 14c., from Middle French irascible (12c.) and directly from Late Latin irascibilis, from Latin irasci "be angry, be in a rage," from ira "anger" (see ire).