ILL-TEMPERED Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

ill-tempered

adjective

ˈil-ˈtem-pərd

Definition of ill-tempered

as in irritable

having or showing a habitually bad temper an ill-tempered cat will scratch with little provocation

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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 ill-tempered The game was notoriously ill-tempered, with English referee Howard Webb showing 14 yellow cards — a World Cup final record that still stands. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Mbappé’s penalty proved the difference in a bruising and ill-tempered match as France won 1-0 in Philadelphia on Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals. — Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2026 Simultaneously good-humored and ill-tempered in that quintessentially French fashion, Gabrielle is indeed shouldering a crushing amount of responsibility. — Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 Speaking with candor, Russell immediately addresses Kilmer’s reputation for being ill-tempered on set early in his career. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025 On balance, however, Billy Wagner, an imposing 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, came off as brash and blustery, foul-mouthed and ill-tempered in witness testimony. — Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024 If the person in charge is ill-tempered, thrives on conflict, and easily persuaded, problems are made worse. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, 27 May 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-tempered

Adjective

If a relative or housemate seems irritable, ask what’s going on instead of working around the mood.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
As the fascination with Ernetti grows into something unhealthy, Béatrice subtly grows more tired, more distracted, more irritable and desperate for answers, small changes Sellier conveys with a smart sense of restraint.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

Now a new Cherry Orchard, the work of another Australian auteur, Simon Stone, has put down roots in the cavernous drill hall of the Park Avenue Armory, and the angry young tutor goes even further.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Punk rock has always been tied to the idea that both artists and listeners are angry — frustrated with the system, furious at injustice.

— Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

Beneath the song's upbeat melody and the movie's cantankerous humor, both deliver a powerful message that women deserve equal pay and treatment in the workplace.

— Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Slow Horses stars Oldman as Lamb, a brilliant but cantankerous leader of dysfunctional spies who have made career-ending mistakes and end up at a dumping ground MI5 unit known as Slough House.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of cantankerous

Adjective

The new movie follows a benevolent ex-pilot named Hig (Jacob Elordi) who, after losing his wife during a catastrophic global pandemic, lives out in the wilderness with his dog, Jasper, and ornery isolationist pal Bangley (Josh Brolin).

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
In the show, Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan, an ornery Green Lantern who is begrudgingly training his upstart protégé (Aaron Pierre).

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 July 2026

Definition of ornery

Adjective

Mistaking being disagreeable with the act of disagreeing is common - especially in unsafe psychological workplaces.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
There are also a lot of people who have never dreamed of being disagreeable in public, much less considered joining a raucous social movement.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026

Definition of disagreeable

Adjective

The normally surly Super Bowl winning head coach has been known to chew up and spit out even the most veteran of sideline reporters, even while his team is eviscerating the competition.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
The United States is now a reluctant international donor and a surly member of key international organizations.

— Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of surly

Adjective

Still, the internet nurtures these Hobbesian, splenetic views.

— Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
Meanwhile, the commentator and controversialist Piers Morgan, an obsessively close observer and relentless critic of Meghan, inevitably waded in with his usual splenetic views.

— Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2022

Definition of splenetic

Browse Nearby Words

ill-starred

ill-tempered

ill-treat

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“Ill-tempered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-tempered. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill-tempered

adjective

Example Sentences

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