as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
extremely waspish, she uses her wit viciously when irritated
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Recent Examples of waspish
Among the waspish regulars of the Algonquin Round Table, Robert Benchley cut a relatively docile figure.
—
New York Times, 11 May 2022
At his waspish best, Mr. Wheatcroft is entertaining on all this.
—Richard Aldous, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021
The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause — is not, to put it mildly, pleased.
—David Benedict, Variety, 19 Aug. 2021
Once again, waspish commentators noted, an American woman has caused a ruction in the royal family.
—Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020
Bening is capable of being waspish, consoling, frail, indomitable, and woebegone – sometimes all at once.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2018
The book brings to life characters such as the waspish U.S. Army general Joseph Stilwell and the eccentric U.S. ambassador Patrick Hurley.
—Richard Bernstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2014
New York Times, 11 May 2022
At his waspish best, Mr. Wheatcroft is entertaining on all this.
—Richard Aldous, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021
The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause — is not, to put it mildly, pleased.
—David Benedict, Variety, 19 Aug. 2021
Once again, waspish commentators noted, an American woman has caused a ruction in the royal family.
—Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020
Bening is capable of being waspish, consoling, frail, indomitable, and woebegone – sometimes all at once.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2018
The book brings to life characters such as the waspish U.S. Army general Joseph Stilwell and the eccentric U.S. ambassador Patrick Hurley.
—Richard Bernstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waspish
Adjective
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If you are rushed or irritable, say so.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Avi tries to comfort his grieving (read: irritable) mother by saying at least his grandmother and grandfather are together again in Heaven.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While Starship traveled its furthest distance of 2025 during its May 27 flight, the test marked the third time in a row that the spacecraft came apart in a fiery mishap before attempting key objectives.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
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From Hokkaido in the far north to Kyushu in the southwest, fiery maples and golden gingko repaint much of the country between October and early December, starting in the north and the mountains before reaching southern and lowland regions.—
Rob Goss,
AFAR Media,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waspish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waspish. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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