Irascible
Word: irascible (adjective)
Associations
"Irascible" means easily angered or quick to become upset. It describes a person who gets angry very fast or reacts with irritation.
- A teacher might be irascible if students are noisy in class.
- A driver can be irascible when stuck in traffic jams.
- A character in a story might be irascible to show they have a short temper.
A well-known synonym is "short-tempered." The difference is that "irascible" is a bit more formal and often used in writing, while "short-tempered" is more common in everyday speech.
Substitution
You can replace "irascible" with:
- short-tempered (more common, less formal)
- quick-tempered (similar meaning)
- cranky (more casual, sometimes less serious)
- touchy (means easily upset, but not always angry)
Each substitution may change the tone: "cranky" sounds less serious, "touchy" can mean sensitive, not just angry.
Deconstruction
The word "irascible" comes from Latin "irascibilis," from "irasci," meaning "to grow angry." The root "ira" means "anger." The suffix "-ible" means "able to be" or "tending to." So, "irascible" literally means "tending to anger."
Inquiry
- Can you think of someone you know who is irascible? How do they behave?
- How would you describe a situation where being irascible could be a problem?
- Are there times when being irascible might actually help someone? Why or why not?
Model: gpt-4.1-mini