choleric

adjective

ˈkä-lə-rik How to pronounce choleric (audio)
Definition of cholericnext
1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed watch out for the choleric librarian at the reference desk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angry
feeling or showing anger I absolutely get choleric when a telemarketer calls during the dinner hour

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of choleric In recent months and days, right up though the current authoritarian auto-da-fé that’s taking apart the Constitution, Winslow has become ever more choleric in his public comments. — Fred Schruers, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026 Spiced with verbal humor, the necessary expositional scenes are expeditiously handled, reintroducing such Superman regulars as Jackie Cooper, the Daily Planet’s choleric editor, and Margot Kidder in her familiar role of Lois Lane, girl reporter. — Arthur Knight, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025 Mask agonists tend to be both crumbly and choleric, a bad combination and ample reason to seek comfort. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022 He is replaced by a choleric, more professional West Indian, a lean black man with a faint, unplaceable accent. — Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021 Both have professed deep affection for the comic-book series about a globe-trotting boy reporter, his wirehaired fox terrier, and his choleric seafaring friend. — IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choleric
  1. irritable
  2. angry
  3. fiery
  4. indignant
  5. enraged
  6. mad
  7. furious
  8. angered
Adjective
  • Could be because for much of the running time, Abrams’ Jay Gardiner is up against what looks like a very large irritable sphincter.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Coach There’s no better feeling than walking into your last show of the day, irritable and hungry, only to discover that snacks are being served.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Keeping The Faith So all’s well that ends well, and frantic, for Halfway 2 Jesus, Rock’s 13th album and the follow-up to 2022’s angry, politically charged Bad Reputation.
    — Gary Graff, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • Bongulo Paneer — cooked in bamboo, served with a coconut and capsicum poriyal that blends peanut chutney, acidic gongura sour cream and fiery gunpowder.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • An 18-year-old Ida resident was killed after a fiery crash on Thursday morning in Monroe County, Michigan.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiery
Adjective
  • His tone was reminiscent of the indignant woman in Yamaska who’d unloaded on me while walking her dog.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The same people who were indignant over Hunter Biden have turned a blind eye to the conflicts of interest rife in this administration.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of indignant
Adjective
  • And not just any velociraptor, but the enraged dinosaur that pushed franchise champion Rachel Reilly into a volcano, thereby burning the reality TV icon to a crisp in a sea of lava.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of enraged
Adjective
  • The ball popped out of his glove and fell in front of him, creating a bit of a mad scramble for Ramírez.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Some reports have suggested that Harry knew the contents of the memoir before it was published, which reportedly adds to William’s reasons to be mad at his brother.
    — StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of mad
Adjective
  • Before long there were three squad cars with lights flashing parked in the drive, with a furious Grandpa Joe trying to sort out the trouble.
    — Kerry Kennedy, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The conflicts are raw and unresolved, and Churchill forces theatergoers to make up their own minds about the characters’ furious dialect.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of furious
Adjective
  • The bar has been sparsely attended on what would normally be busy Saturday nights as some angered customers have called for a boycott, according to The Boston Globe.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Police said the two male juveniles became angered when the other three would not take them to buy marijuana.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of angered

Browse Nearby Words

choler
choleric
chomped (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Choleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choleric. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All