What does irascible mean?
Word: Irascible
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Irascible means easily made angry; quick to lose your temper.
Synonyms: bad-tempered
Antonyms: even-tempered
How do you spell irascible?
Syllables: i - ras - ci - ble
Tricky part: The s sound in the middle is spelt sc, so irasible and irassible are both wrong.
Watch out for: irasible, irassible
Memory tip: An irascible person may well scold you, so tuck the sc of scold into the middle of the word.
Irascible in a sentence
Example 1: Our irascible neighbour grumbles whenever a cricket ball lands in his garden, but he always throws it back.
Example 2: Grandpa is a little irascible before his morning tea, so we let him read the paper in peace.
Example 3: The famous composer was known for being irascible at rehearsals, yet his musicians admired him.
Fun Fact
Irascible goes back to a Latin verb meaning 'to grow angry'. It is mostly a written word: in everyday talk people are more likely to say bad-tempered.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
ir_sc_ble
a) a, i
b) a, a
c) e, i
d) o, i
Show answer
a) a, i. The stressed syllable has the short a of cat, and the ending is -ible, as in terrible.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The rbcilaise chef grumbled at no one in particular whenever the soup boiled over.
a) irascible
b) invisible
c) irresistible
d) irritable
Show answer
a) irascible. Irritable needs two r's and a t, invisible an n and a v, and irresistible far more letters; only irascible matches the nine given.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word irascible as used in the sentence:
The irascible shopkeeper softened when the children offered to help stack his mangoes.
a) grumpy
b) short-tempered
c) touchy
d) good-natured
Show answer
d) good-natured. An irascible person flares up easily; a good-natured person stays kind and calm.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. irrascible 2. temperament 3. generous 4. impatient
a) likely to flare up over small things
b) not willing to wait calmly
c) happy to give more than is expected
d) a person's usual nature or mood
Show answer
a) likely to flare up over small things. This word has only one r after the first i; temperament, generous and impatient are all correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which habit fits an irascible person?
a) laughing at every joke
b) enjoying long, quiet walks
c) forgetting names very easily
d) snapping at people over little things
Show answer
d) snapping at people over little things
2. You would NOT expect an irascible person to give ____.
a) a sharp word when kept waiting
b) a frown at a noisy room
c) a loud sigh at a late train
d) a calm reply to a rude remark
Show answer
d) a calm reply to a rude remark
