snappish
Quick to bite
Snappish describes a tendency to speak sharply or irritably, like a dog that snaps without much provocation.
Someone in a snappish mood responds to minor annoyances with curt, impatient remarks: She was snappish all morning after sleeping poorly.
The word suggests quick flashes of temper rather than sustained anger.
Ill-tempered and peevish
- grumpyIrritable in temperament
- petulantChildishly bad-tempered
- fretfulAnxiously irritable
- peevishHabitually fretful
touchy · irascible · cantankerous · tetchy · grouchy · moody · querulous · choleric
Abruptly rude in speech
sharp · crisp · clipped · short · brisk · dismissive · impatient · unceremonious
Harshly critical or cold
- sarcasticMockingly insincere in tone
- cuttingDividing via sharp edge
- sharp-tonguedGiven to cutting remarks
- acerbicSharp and biting
tart · sardonic · scathing · mordant · stinging · acidic · barbed · vitriolic
Wary and restrained
- touchyEasily upset or offended
- pricklySpiny or irritable
- bristlingStanding stiffly outward
- reactiveTending to respond
oversensitive · thin-skinned · wary · standoffish · quick-tempered · hair-trigger · combative · retaliatory
Silently bad-tempered
sour · curmudgeonly · ill-tempered · disagreeable · unfriendly · hostile · ill-humored · bearish
cranky
Ill-tempered and peevish
peevish · touchy · irascible · cantankerous · tetchy · grouchy · moody · querulous · choleric · short-tempered
curt
Abruptly rude in speech
gruff · sharp · crisp · clipped · short · brisk · dismissive · impatient · unceremonious · rough
biting
Harshly critical or cold
- sarcasticMockingly insincere in tone
- cuttingDividing via sharp edge
- sharp-tonguedGiven to cutting remarks
acerbic · tart · sardonic · scathing · mordant · stinging · acidic · barbed · vitriolic · trenchant
guarded
Wary and restrained
reactive · oversensitive · thin-skinned · wary · standoffish · quick-tempered · hair-trigger · combative · retaliatory · hostile
sullen
Silently bad-tempered
dour · sour · curmudgeonly · ill-tempered · disagreeable · unfriendly · hostile · ill-humored · bearish · nasty
snappishpatient
Able to wait calmly
even-tempered · good-tempered · easygoing · mild-mannered · forbearing
- snapping fingersPercussive digit gesture
- snapping upAcquiring something quickly
- snapping turtleFierce aquatic chelonian
- finger snappingSharp sound from digits
- snapping one's fingersSharp digit-produced sound
- snapping someone's head offReplying with sudden hostility