Irritable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɪɹɪtəbl̩/

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a consistent disposition toward being easily annoyed by minor provocations or disruptions, often resulting in a quick reaction
2. Tending to respond with impatience or frustration to small inconveniences
3. Showing a temperament prone to quick irritation by trivial matters

Etymology: The adjective "irritable" arrived in English from French, which had taken it from the Latin "irritabilis," meaning "that can be provoked" or "excitable." The Latin word was built from "irritare," "to excite, provoke, or stimulate," so the original sense was closer to responsiveness than to bad temper. A Latin speaker could describe a muscle or a body part as irritable in the sense that it reacted readily to stimulation, and that neutral, almost physiological meaning lingered in the word for a long time. The shift toward a bad-tempered sense happened gradually. The idea of being easily stirred up, which the Latin root carried, moved from bodily reaction into the mind, so that a person who reacted quickly to stimulus came to be seen as someone quick to anger. Today the word is almost always applied to temperament, but the older physical sense still shows in the medical and biological vocabulary that retained "irritability" for a tissue's capacity to respond to stimulus.

Synonyms: grumpy, testy, touchy

Antonyms: calm, patient, easygoing