Webster's English Dictionary

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irascible

iras.ci.ble \ir-'as-*-b*l, i--'ras-\ \-ble-\ aj [MF, fr. LL irascibilis, 
   fr. L irasci to become angry, be angry, fr]. ira : marked by hot temper and 
   easily provoked anger UCHY, CRANKY, CROSS mean easily angered. IRASCIBLE 
   implies a tendency to be angered on slight provocation; CHOLERIC may 
   suggest impatient excitability and unreasonableness in addition to hot 
   temper; SPLENETIC suggests moroseness, and bad rather than hot temper; 
   TESTY suggests irascibility over small annoyances; TOUCHY implies undue 
   sensitiveness as from jealousy or bad conscience; CRANKY suggests an 
   habitual fretful irritability; CROSS suggests a snappishness or grumpy 
   irritability as from disappointment or discomfort - iras.ci.ble.ness n SYN 
   syn IRASCIBLE, CHOLERIC, SPLENETIC, TESTY, TO