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Irascible vs Vitriolic - What's the difference?

irascible | vitriolic |

As adjectives the difference between irascible and vitriolic

is that irascible is easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable while vitriolic is of, derived from, or similar to a vitriol.

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

    * ----

    vitriolic

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • of, derived from, or similar to a vitriol
  • bitterly scathing; caustic: vitriolic criticism
  • (chemistry): Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste.
  • See also

    * Vitriolic acid * sulphuric acid * vitriol