irascible

adjective

i-ˈra-sə-bəl How to pronounce irascible (audio)
Definition of irasciblenext
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed forced to endure a memorably irascible boss on her first job after college

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irascible For the first time, that includes In Living Color vet Kim Wayans, going large as irascible hospital staffer Nurse Ratchett. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026 Rick’s bandmates, all around the same age, vary from affable to irascible; the sweetest of them is McDonald’s Sandy, who lives with his mum and seems to look up to Rick as a guy who’s surely got it together. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026 As embodied by John Lithgow, Dahl is incisive, avuncular, irascible, acerbic, and always entertaining. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 Their first conversation is comically lopsided, and McKellen, purring his way through what is effectively a monologue, lays the groundwork for his most vividly inhabited and hilariously irascible performance in years. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for irascible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irascible
  1. irritable
  2. fiery
Adjective
  • The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2026
  • And the hottest of the bunch, the green, is a fiery combination of both jalapeños and green habaneros.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of fiery

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Cite this Entry

“Irascible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irascible. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on irascible

Nglish: Translation of irascible for Spanish Speakers

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