bad-tempered

adjective

bad-tem·​pered ˈbad-ˈtem-pərd How to pronounce bad-tempered (audio)
: easily annoyed or angered : having or showing a bad temper : surly, ill-tempered
Bad-tempered drivers banged on the door and left cursing without a fare.Deborah Levy
It's not a good idea to make a love story about two people who are so self-absorbed, sniveling and bad-tempered that the audience wants them to end up in a dumpster, not living happily ever after. Ralph Novak

Examples of bad-tempered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Who among us has not gazed in dismay at a world that’s not just increasingly bad-tempered, but seems to hold against each one of us some focused, individual grudge? Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 Oct. 2023 In Nigeria, for example, a small and bad-tempered snake called the West African carpet viper is responsible for most of the country's bites. Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bad-tempered.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad-tempered was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near bad-tempered

Cite this Entry

“Bad-tempered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad-tempered. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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