different between fiery vs irascible

English

Etymology

From Middle English firi, from fir (“fire”). Equivalent to fire +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fa???i/
• Rhymes: -a??ri

Adjective

fiery (comparative more fiery or fierier, superlative most fiery or fieriest)

1. Of or relating to fire.
2. Burning or glowing.
3. Inflammable or easily ignited.
4. Having the colour of fire.
5. Hot or inflamed.
6. Tempestuous or emotionally volatile.

7. Spirited or filled with emotion.

Derived terms

• fiery cross

Translations

Anagrams

• firey, reify

English

Etymology

From French irascible, from Late Latin ?r?scibilis.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /???æs.?.b?l/, /???æs.?.b?l/
• Rhymes: -?b?l

Adjective

irascible (comparative more irascible, superlative most irascible)

1. Easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable.
   • 1809, Washington Irving, Knickerbocker's History of New York, ch. 16:

     . . . the surly and irascible passions which, like belligerent powers, lie encamped around the heart.

   • 1863, Louisa May Alcott, 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, William Butler Yeats, 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

Related terms

Translations

References

• irascible at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin ?r?scibilis, from ?r?scor (“grow angry”), from ?ra (“anger”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.?a.sibl/

Adjective

irascible (plural irascibles)

1. irascible

Related terms

• ire

Further reading

• “irascible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• ciblerais

Spanish

Adjective

irascible (plural irascibles)

1. irascible