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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.
Examples of irascible in a Sentence
Alison Herman, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
In Fawlty Towers, Scales played the irascible and long-suffering Sybil Fawlty, who was often angered by the bumbling incompetence of husband and hotel manager Basil, played by Cleese.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
If the lead-up to Benfica’s visit, and even the game itself, had the feel of a reunion at times, there were still flashes of the irascible Mourinho of old.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Julia is playing a version of herself that is more irascible.
—Thr Staff, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irascible
Cite this Entry
“Irascible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irascible. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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