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Irascible vs Grouchy - What's the difference?

irascible | grouchy |

As adjectives the difference between irascible and grouchy

is that irascible is easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable while grouchy is irritable; easily upset; angry; tending to complain.

irascible

English

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.

    Synonyms

    * cantankerous, choleric, cranky, ill-tempered, hot-tempered

    References

    * ----

    grouchy

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Irritable; easily upset; angry; tending to complain.
  • His boss gets grouchy when deadlines draw near.
  • * 1911 , , Chapter III,
  • Not that young Pat had a nasty temper, or was grouchy as his father had feared.
  • * 1922 , , Chapter XXXI,
  • He went in to mumble that he was "sorry, didn't mean to be grouchy ," and to inquire as to her interest in movies.
  • * 1922 , Henry William Fischer, , Author's Preface,
  • In Berlin I once heard Susie Clemens—ill-fated, talented girl, who died so young—say to her father: "Grouchy again! They do say that you can be funny when company is around—too bad that you don't consider Henry Fisher company."

    Synonyms

    * cranky * grumpy * tetchy

    References