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Irascible Has an Angry History
If you try to take apart irascible on the model of irrational, irresistible, and irresponsible you might find yourself wondering what ascible means—but that's not how irascible came to be. The key to the meaning of irascible isn't the negating prefix ir- (which is the form of the prefix in- that is used before words beginning with "r"), but rather the Latin noun ira, meaning "anger." From ira, which is also the root of irate and ire, came the Latin verb irasci ("to become angry") and the related adjective irascibilis, the latter of which led to the French word irascible. English speakers borrowed the word from French in the 16th century.
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Examples of irascible in a Sentence
Brady Anderson Special To The Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Davidson lends his irascible appeal to Petey in an excellent vocal turn.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Thus Dog Man is born, just as determined to pursue criminals as Knight was but also displaying Greg’s strong tendency to lick people’s faces, including his irascible — is there any other kind?
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
The film’s irascible but deeply principled subject — thirty-something divorcee Sara Shahverdi — gives the film its energy, though its lulls aren’t quite as purposeful.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Irascible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irascible. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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