as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
the newspaper publisher's splenetic editorials often struck fear into local politicians
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Recent Examples of splenetic
And while there is enough splenetic wit and manic detail to generate obsessive fandom (entire sections of Web sites are dedicated to deciphering just what Kenny is mumbling), subjects like alien abduction, genetic engineering, and Kathie Lee are hardly original targets for satire.
—
Chris Norris, SPIN, 13 Aug. 2022
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
Moscow’s splenetic response to the European visit underscored Putin’s anger over Ukraine’s tightening bonds with Europe.
—Laura Kingstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2022
In Rithy Panh’s frenetic, splenetic new hybrid essay film, everything will most assuredly not be OK.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 Feb. 2022
Despite the politicians’ splenetic arguments all week, Macron’s plan passed the National Assembly by a vote of 214 to 93.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2022
In the end, the IRA’s menagerie of false personas and fusillades of splenetic memes were arguably more effective at garnering sensationalistic headlines than shifting public opinion.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 May 2020
Parlá is loose with his fields of color, but never splenetic.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2020
Kalder proposes Lenin as the originator of the modern totalitarian style in prose, adopting Marx’s splenetic polemical tone for the purposes of Communist revolution.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2019
Chris Norris, SPIN, 13 Aug. 2022
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
Moscow’s splenetic response to the European visit underscored Putin’s anger over Ukraine’s tightening bonds with Europe.
—Laura Kingstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2022
In Rithy Panh’s frenetic, splenetic new hybrid essay film, everything will most assuredly not be OK.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 Feb. 2022
Despite the politicians’ splenetic arguments all week, Macron’s plan passed the National Assembly by a vote of 214 to 93.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2022
In the end, the IRA’s menagerie of false personas and fusillades of splenetic memes were arguably more effective at garnering sensationalistic headlines than shifting public opinion.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 May 2020
Parlá is loose with his fields of color, but never splenetic.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2020
Kalder proposes Lenin as the originator of the modern totalitarian style in prose, adopting Marx’s splenetic polemical tone for the purposes of Communist revolution.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splenetic
Adjective
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SSRIs are linked to a condition called neonatal adaption syndrome, in which infants are born jittery, irritable and with abnormal muscle tone.—
Andrew Novick,
The Conversation,
31 July 2025
-
Frequently, kids who suppress emotions at school come home irritable in a low-key fashion at home.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The family defended themselves against an angry mob of hundreds of people who surrounded the house, throwing rocks and threatening the family, Duggan said.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Freed of her caring duties, angry and uncertain about her future Karl gets on a Greyhound bus and heads to Las Vegas where Jean is working as a waitress at the El Cortez.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That continues when the matriarch finally passes away 20 years later, leaving equally bilious offspring Laras (Dinda Kanyadewi) in charge.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
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Even though his bloodwork looked normal six months previously, sudden onset or acute renal failure can happen in an old dog for no apparent reason other than age and result in bilious vomiting.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Smith plays Hanna, a cantankerous nonagenarian, who patrols the Golden Gate Bridge every day and intervenes when people get too close to the edge.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The comedic elements of Eleanor the Great work mostly because of Squibb’s solid performance as the sometimes cantankerous and slightly overbearing mother.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Over the weekend, reports emerged that the higher tariffs followed a disagreeable Thursday phone call between Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Trump — which Swiss officials rejected, according to Reuters.—
Sophie Kiderlin,Jenni Reid,
CNBC,
4 Aug. 2025
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Trump and his supporters prefer a happy history, a pleasant history that arouses patriotism by overlooking disagreeable people and despicable events that sully the nation’s reputation and mar the magnificence of the American story.—
William C. Hine,
Twin Cities,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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From lo-fi hip-hop to chamber pop, from acid funk to orchestral rock, the fingerprints remain.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
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The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Their aggressive, ornery, and unpredictable nature has earned them the nickname Black Death.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
7 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, eighty-three-year-old Harrison Ford earned his first Emmy nod for his role as the ornery therapist on the show Shrinking.—
Taylor Wilson,
USA Today,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Reprising his role as the exasperated accountant, Oscar (played by actor Oscar Nunez) wants no part in the crew’s latest project.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Jess Walter’s sublime ‘So Far Gone’ finds redemption in exasperated Pacific Northwest exile.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Splenetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splenetic. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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