as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
an ill-tempered cat will scratch with little provocation
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Recent Examples of ill-tempered
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
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
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The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
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Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
Adjective
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The Commission ultimately left it at 400 feet, prompting an intense reaction from the angry crowd.
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Some of the women who were angry contacted the SFMOMA not simply to share feedback, but to try to ensure Bahr could never work with the institution again.
Adjective
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Principle photography is underway in London, with Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum sharing his memories of contending with Winston’s cantankerous Tyrannosaurus Rex.
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Things seem to be going well; Lord Walder accepts Robb’s apology with cantankerous humor, and offers the Starks his full hospitality for the duration of the wedding.
Adjective
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Leach also would publicly call out his players and could get ornery when questioned about his team’s shortcomings.
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The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.
Adjective
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There are also a lot of people who have never dreamed of being disagreeable in public, much less considered joining a raucous social movement.
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The disagreeable object proved no match for the most fertile person in Montana.
Adjective
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Better is Danny Elfman’s spartan and fraught score, particularly the dyspeptic drums.
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But Kael sensed in her less dyspeptic moments that there was something special about Redford.
Adjective
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Or a surly, vengeful Robin Hood, by Kevin Costner.
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The ones who did were a bit sour and surly.
Adjective
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Still, the internet nurtures these Hobbesian, splenetic views.
Cite this Entry
“Ill-tempered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-tempered. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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