irascible

play

adjective iras·ci·ble \ i-ˈra-sə-bəl \

Definition of irascible

:marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger

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irascibility

play \i-ˌra-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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irascibleness

play \i-ˈra-sə-bəl-nəs\ noun

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irascibly

play \i-ˈra-sə-blē\ adverb

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Examples of irascible in a Sentence

an irascible old football coach
He has an irascible disposition.

Recent Examples of irascible from the Web

By that time, the Sixers were fully committed to The Process and a long rebuild, and irascible Philly fans had grown more patient.

— tim rohan, SI.com, "In Love with Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles Fans Are Losing Their Mean Streak," 9 Aug. 2017
With his irascible grin and fighter-pilot moxie, McCain was elected to the Senate from Arizona six times, but twice thwarted in seeking the presidency.

— donna cassata, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Sen. John McCain diagnosed with aggressive type of brain cancer," 19 July 2017
In contrast to the mild, placid Allen, Mahaney is an irascible mountain man who could start an argument in an empty room.

— Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 28 June 2017
Felder plays both von Breuning and Beethoven, easily moving between the academic von Breuning to the sometimes irascible and later irrational Beethoven.

— tony lacy-thompson, The Mercury News, "A towering performance about a towering composer," 11 June 2017
The fate of one irascible canine, however, spurs her to vie for a spot on the training team.

— robert abele, latimes.com, "'Megan Leavey' tells a tale of two war heroes: a woman Marine and her bomb-sniffing K-9," 8 June 2017
The latest in a seemingly endless procession of documentaries about shutterbugs, The Incomparable Rose Hartman doesn’t quite make the case for lengthily profiling its irascible and not particularly interesting subject.

— frank scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Incomparable Rose Hartman': Film Review," 2 June 2017
That irascible, independent streak is part of what made him beloved and led to him receiving the nation’s top prize for humor.

— Washington Post, "David Letterman to receive nation’s top prize for comedy," 16 May 2017
The late-night host’s irascible, independent streak inspired fierce loyalty from fans and critics and led to his being honored with the nation’s top prize for humor.

— Washington Post, "David Letterman to receive nation’s top prize for comedy," 16 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'irascible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

irascible Has an Angry History

If you try to take apart "irascible" in the same manner as "irrational," "irresistible," or "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 negative prefix ir- (which is used before words that begin with "r"), but 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"), which led to French irascible. English speakers borrowed the word from French in the 16th century.