irascible

Etymology

From French irascible, from Late Latin īrāscibilis.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ɪˈɹæs.ɪ.bəl/, /ɪˈɹæs.ə.bəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪbəl

Adjective

irascible (comparative more irascible, superlative most irascible)

1. Easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable.
   • 1809, Washington Irving, Knickerbocker's History of New York, ch. 16:

     . . . the surly and irascible passions which, like belligerent powers, lie encamped around the heart.

   • 1863, Louisa May Alcott, Hospital Sketches, ch. 1:

     I am naturally irascible, and if I could have shaken this negative gentleman vigorously, the relief would have been immense.

   • 1921, William Butler Yeats, Four Years, ch. 10:

     . . . a never idle man of great physical strength and extremely irascible—did he not fling a badly baked plum pudding through the window upon Xmas Day?

   • 2004 Feb. 29, Daniel Kadlec, "Why He's Meanspan," Time:

     Alan Greenspan was on an irascible roll last week, first dissing everyone who holds a fixed-rate mortgage — suckers! — and later picking on folks who collect Social Security: Get back to work, Grandma.

References

• irascible at OneLook Dictionary Search

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin īrāscibilis, from īrāscor (“grow angry”), from īra (“anger”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.ʁa.sibl/

Adjective

irascible (plural irascibles)

1. irascible

Further reading

• “irascible” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• ciblerais

Adjective

irascible (plural irascibles)

1. irascible