ill-tempered
Quick to snap
Ill-tempered describes someone prone to anger or irritability—quick to snap, slow to smile.
An ill-tempered boss makes the office tense.
An ill-tempered response comes out harsher than warranted.
The word suggests a disposition rather than a momentary mood: not just angry right now, but generally disagreeable.
Ill-tempered and peevish
- grouchyEasily annoyed, ill-tempered
- testyShort-tempered, easily provoked
- touchyEasily upset or offended
- peevishHabitually fretful
petulant · irascible · snappy · tetchy · fretful · edgy · cross · prickly
Bad-tempered and argumentative
- curmudgeonlyBad-tempered and uncooperative
- surlyBad-tempered and unfriendly
- churlishIll-mannered and rude
- crotchetyIrritable and complaining
ornery · gruff · sour · crabbed · dour · crusty · bearish · dyspeptic
Hostile and eager to clash
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
- confrontationalInclined toward hostile encounters
pugnacious · truculent · quarrelsome · bellicose · contentious · fierce · threatening · menacing
Easily provoked to anger
- fieryIntensely hot or passionate
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
- hot-headedProne to sudden anger
- mercurialProne to sudden change
temperamental · unpredictable · quick to anger · splenetic · wrathful · incensed · inflammable · hair-trigger
cranky
Ill-tempered and peevish
- grouchyEasily annoyed, ill-tempered
- testyShort-tempered, easily provoked
- touchyEasily upset or offended
peevish · petulant · irascible · snappy · tetchy · fretful · edgy · cross · prickly · waspish
cantankerous
Bad-tempered and argumentative
- curmudgeonlyBad-tempered and uncooperative
- surlyBad-tempered and unfriendly
- churlishIll-mannered and rude
crotchety · ornery · gruff · sour · crabbed · dour · crusty · bearish · dyspeptic · ill-humored
belligerent
Hostile and eager to clash
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
confrontational · pugnacious · truculent · quarrelsome · bellicose · contentious · fierce · threatening · menacing · intimidating
choleric
Easily provoked to anger
- fieryIntensely hot or passionate
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
- hot-headedProne to sudden anger
mercurial · temperamental · unpredictable · quick to anger · splenetic · wrathful · incensed · inflammable · hair-trigger · passionate
morose
Sullenly ill-humored
moody · gloomy · resentful · scowling · withdrawn · uncommunicative · dour · saturnine · glowering · pouty
ill-temperedgood-tempered
Consistently pleasant in disposition
good-natured · sweet-tempered · even-tempered · mild-mannered · easygoing
temper, ill-mannered, temperament, tempered, ill-temper, hot-tempered, even-tempered, bad-tempered, short-tempered