Word of the Day

Thursday, January 31, 2008

irascible

\ih-RASS-uh-buhl\ , adjective;

Prone to anger; easily provoked to anger; hot-tempered.

Read the full entry|See synonyms|Comment on today's word

Quotes:

The lawyer described his client as an irascible eighty-two-year-old eccentric who alternated between spinning fascinating tales about her past and cussing him out.

-- Jack Olsen, Hastened to the Grave

His father was an irascible and boastful bully, a heavy drinker and a gambler.

-- Robin Waterfield, Prophet: The Life and Times of Kahlil Gibran

Origin:

Irascible is from Latin irascibilis, "prone to anger," from ira, "anger," which is also the source of ire and irate.