Adjective

(en adjective)

Easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable.

* 1809 , , Knickerbocker's History of New York , ch. 16:

. . . the surly and irascible passions which, like belligerent powers, lie encamped around the heart.

* 1863 , , Hospital Sketches , ch. 1:

I am naturally irascible , and if I could have shaken this negative gentleman vigorously, the relief would have been immense.

* 1921 , , Four Years , ch. 10:

. . . a never idle man of great physical strength and extremely irascible —did he not fling a badly baked plum pudding through the window upon Xmas Day?

* 2004 Feb. 29, Daniel Kadlec, " Why He's Meanspan," Time :

Alan Greenspan was on an irascible roll last week, first dissing everyone who holds a fixed-rate mortgage — suckers! — and later picking on folks who collect Social Security: Get back to work, Grandma.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Transported with passion or fury; raging; violent.

* , chapter=22

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. Next day she found her way to their lodgings and tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head.}}

Rushing with impetuosity; moving with violence.