Synonyms of choleric

choleric

adjective

ˈkä-lə-rik 

1

as in irritable

easily irritated or annoyed

watch out for the choleric librarian at the reference desk

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritable
• fiery
• irascible
• peevish
• petulant
• snappish
• grouchy
• crotchety
• pettish
• waspish
• grumpy
• testy
• passionate
• crabby
• cross
• short-tempered
• snarky
• cranky
• quick-tempered
• out of humor
• raspy
• stuffy
• bilious
• out of sorts
• snippy
• sensitive
• perverse
• prickly
• dyspeptic
• querulous
• cantankerous
• ornery
• pugnacious
• disagreeable
• combative
• bellicose
• short
• contentious
• belligerent
• fretful
• ratty
• snippety
• quarrelsome
• argumentative
• curmudgeonly
• snarly
• surly
• truculent
• snappy
• ill-tempered
• sulky
• ill-natured
• sullen
• ill-humored
• fractious
• tetchy
• disputatious
• cross-grained
• pouty
• bearish
• scrappy
• huffy
• off-color
• thin-skinned
• touchy
• hot-blooded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• outgoing
• genial
• affable
• extroverted
• cordial
• gregarious
• friendly
• sociable
• amiable
• companionable
• sweet
• agreeable
• good-natured
• easygoing
• carefree
• good-tempered
• patient
• relaxed
• well-disposed
• tolerant
• stoic
• uncomplaining
• forbearing
• long-suffering
• understanding
• obliging
• happy-go-lucky

2

as in angry

feeling or showing anger

I absolutely get choleric when a telemarketer calls during the dinner hour

Synonyms & Similar Words

• angry
• indignant
• enraged
• mad
• angered
• furious
• outraged
• infuriated
• ballistic
• infuriate
• passionate
• irritable
• rabid
• wrathful
• apoplectic
• irate
• sore
• inflamed
• hot
• incensed
• annoyed
• livid
• ireful
• foaming
• fuming
• steaming
• riled
• bent out of shape
• in a huff
• blue in the face
• hopping mad
• hot under the collar
• in a pet
• wroth
• exasperated
• in a fume
• fit to be tied
• shirty
• aggravated
• cheesed off
• hopping
• rankled
• horn-mad
• ticked
• roiled
• vindictive
• going crook
• virulent
• spiteful
• antagonistic
• vengeful
• steamed up
• embittered
• boiling
• seething
• bilious
• unpleasant
• acrimonious
• irascible
• malevolent
• riley
• vitriolic
• resentful
• stormy
• acrid
• disagreeable
• antipathetic
• sulky
• bristly
• peevish
• antisocial
• bristling
• rancorous
• ranting
• dyspeptic
• fretful
• huffy
• petulant
• smoldering
• pugnacious
• snappish
• teed off
• cross
• cantankerous
• bitter
• belligerent
• grouchy
• quarrelsome
• grumpy
• querulous
• worked up
• cold
• inflammable
• burning
• testy
• ornery
• crabby
• inimical
• icy
• ill-tempered
• raving
• frigid
• churlish
• perturbed
• cranky
• unfriendly
• distant
• sizzling
• disapproving
• wrought (up)
• disputatious
• argumentative
• quick-tempered
• ill-humored
• touchy
• fussy
• contentious
• sorehead
• bearish
• contrary
• cool
• piqued
• put out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreeable
• delighted
• pleased
• accepting
• complaisant
• amenable
• friendly
• cordial
• accommodating
• sympathetic
• happy
• content
• amicable
• satisfied
• tolerant
• obliging
• calm
• empathetic
• angerless
• placid
• amiable
• peaceable
• sweet
• pleasant
• understanding
• serene
• genial
• affable
• good-natured
• kind
• easygoing
• tranquil
• pacific
• good-tempered
• unembittered

Example Sentences

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