as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
extremely waspish, she uses her wit viciously when irritated
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Recent Examples of waspish
The book brings to life characters such as the waspish U.S. Army general Joseph Stilwell and the eccentric U.S. ambassador Patrick Hurley.
—
Richard Bernstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2014
Among the waspish regulars of the Algonquin Round Table, Robert Benchley cut a relatively docile figure.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
At his waspish best, Mr. Wheatcroft is entertaining on all this.
—Richard Aldous, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021
The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause — is not, to put it mildly, pleased.
—David Benedict, Variety, 19 Aug. 2021
The author takes a waspish tone that doesn’t always enhance his arguments, but the book is an excellent distillation of a complicated menace.
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 26 Feb. 2021
The portrait of prewar upper-class English life is superb, the characters are vividly drawn and the comedy, as always in Waugh, is by turns waspish, warm and knockabout.
—John Banville, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2020
Once again, waspish commentators noted, an American woman has caused a ruction in the royal family.
—Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020
Bening is capable of being waspish, consoling, frail, indomitable, and woebegone – sometimes all at once.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2018
Richard Bernstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2014
Among the waspish regulars of the Algonquin Round Table, Robert Benchley cut a relatively docile figure.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
At his waspish best, Mr. Wheatcroft is entertaining on all this.
—Richard Aldous, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021
The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause — is not, to put it mildly, pleased.
—David Benedict, Variety, 19 Aug. 2021
The author takes a waspish tone that doesn’t always enhance his arguments, but the book is an excellent distillation of a complicated menace.
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 26 Feb. 2021
The portrait of prewar upper-class English life is superb, the characters are vividly drawn and the comedy, as always in Waugh, is by turns waspish, warm and knockabout.
—John Banville, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2020
Once again, waspish commentators noted, an American woman has caused a ruction in the royal family.
—Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020
Bening is capable of being waspish, consoling, frail, indomitable, and woebegone – sometimes all at once.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waspish
Adjective
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Cass fulfills his obligations in a particularly irritable way.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
-
One person’s fatigue is another’s back pain, is another’s migraine or irritable bowel, or long Covid, and so on.—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But, Jackson pairs them with a matching black leotard and a floor-length trench coat, letting all the attention fall on the fiery red pointed pumps.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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Mint green and lavender read soothing, while fiery red and deep orange create a dramatic statement.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waspish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waspish. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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