waspishness
Snappish, biting temper
Waspishness is the quality of being sharp-tempered and quick to sting with words.
A wasp doesn't wait to be provoked—it strikes.
Someone with waspishness delivers cutting remarks readily, often with an edge of irritability: Her waspishness made colleagues hesitant to bring her bad news.
The trait suggests both quickness and a certain petty spite.
Proneness to agitation
- petulanceIrritable, childish impatience
- testinessEasily provoked irritation
- peevishnessIrritable, querulous disposition
- irascibilityTendency to anger easily
crankiness · grouchiness · touchiness · cantankerousness · moodiness · surliness · churlishness · crossness
Chemically burning; bitterly mocking
- bitingHarshly critical or cold
- sardonicGrimly mocking
- sarcasticMockingly insincere in tone
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
sharp-tongued · tart · acerbic · vitriolic · mordant · cutting · barbed · acerbity
Venom-injecting body part
- venomInjected animal poison
- stingSharp wound from insect
- hiveBee dwelling structure
- swarmMass of moving insects
yellow-jacket · hornet · buzzing · nest · aggression · territorial · striped · colony
irritability
Proneness to agitation
- petulanceIrritable, childish impatience
- testinessEasily provoked irritation
- peevishnessIrritable, querulous disposition
irascibility · crankiness · grouchiness · touchiness · cantankerousness · moodiness · surliness · churlishness · crossness · fretfulness
caustic
Chemically burning; bitterly mocking
scathing · sharp-tongued · tart · acerbic · vitriolic · mordant · cutting · barbed · acerbity · snide
stinger
Venom-injecting body part
swarm · yellow-jacket · hornet · buzzing · nest · aggression · territorial · striped · colony
- grumpinessgrumpiness, crankiness, moodiness, sullenness, grouchiness
- irritabilitycranky, grouchy, grumpy, irritated, annoyed
- combativenessaggression, antagonism, belligerence, bellicosity, combativeness
waspishnesspatience
Calm during delays
amiability · geniality · equanimity · affability · good-naturedness