irascible

UK: /ɪˈræsɪb^əl/ US: /ɪˈræsəbəl/ ,(i ras′ə bəl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

i•ras•ci•ble /ɪˈræsəbəl/   adj. 

1. easily made angry; very irritable:
   an irascible city bus driver.
2. showing or produced by anger:
   an irascible response.

i•ras•ci•bil•i•ty /ɪˌræsəˈbɪlɪti/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

i•ras•ci•ble  (i ras′ə bəl), adj. 

1. easily provoked to anger;
   very irritable:
   an irascible old man.
2. characterized or produced by anger:
   an irascible response.

• Late Latin īrāscibilis, equivalent. to Latin īrāsc- (stem of īrāscī to grow angry; equivalent. to īr(a) ire + -ā- theme vowel + -sc- inchoative suffix + -ī infinitive ending; see -esce) + -ibilis -ible
• Middle English irascibel 1350–1400

i•ras′ci•bil′i•ty, i•ras′ci•ble•ness, n. 
i•ras′ci•bly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1, 2. testy, touchy, peppery, choleric, short-tempered. See irritable. 

Antonyms

• 1, 2. calm, even-tempered.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

irascible / ɪˈræsɪb^əl/ adjective

1. easily angered; irritable
2. showing irritability: an irascible action

Etymology: 16th Century: from Late Latin īrascibilis, from Latin īra anger

iˌrasciˈbility, iˈrascibleness noun

iˈrascibly adverb