as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a quick-tempered man who invariably utters threats at any kids who wander into his yard
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Recent Examples of quick-tempered
Suwa is the band’s beloved transmasculine Korean American hero, glamorous and quick-tempered.
—
Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
There was the woman who came to every meeting combative and quick-tempered (fight), the one who broke down in tears at every one-on-one and eventually took extended leave (flight), and the one who seemed paralyzed by the sheer volume of work (freeze).
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Part of it had to do with Nguyen’s distant relationship with her father, a taciturn and quick-tempered man with whom the author had difficulty connecting.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
There was the woman who came to every meeting combative and quick-tempered (fight), the one who broke down in tears at every one-on-one and eventually took extended leave (flight), and the one who seemed paralyzed by the sheer volume of work (freeze).
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Part of it had to do with Nguyen’s distant relationship with her father, a taciturn and quick-tempered man with whom the author had difficulty connecting.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quick-tempered
Adjective
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That’s because the Moon is at odds with Mars today and everyone is irritable.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
-
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel disease?—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And that fiery, vibrant red that fades after mere weeks?—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
14 May 2026
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The fiery collision was one of America’s deadliest drunken driving crashes on record.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quick-tempered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quick-tempered. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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