illtempered

Ill-tempered is an adjective describing a person, animal, or situation characterized by a bad or irritable temper. Someone who is ill-tempered tends to become angry or cross quickly, often reacting harshly to minor provocations. The term suggests a habitual or pronounced mood rather than a single temporary irritation.

Etymology and form: the word combines ill, meaning bad, with tempered, relating to mood or disposition. The standard modern spelling is ill-tempered, typically hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun (an ill-tempered manager) or after the noun (the manager was ill-tempered). The unhyphenated form illtempered is generally considered nonstandard in contemporary usage.

Usage notes: ill-tempered is commonly used to describe people but can also refer to animals or situations that exhibit a bad temper. It carries a negative or mildly critical connotation, though in some contexts it may be used more lightly or humorously. It is a complement to even-tempered or good-tempered, which describe calm or steady dispositions.

Synonyms and related terms include irascible, irritable, cross, crotchety, and ill-natured. An antonym is even-tempered. In style and register, ill-tempered tends to appear in narrative or descriptive writing rather than formal or technical prose.

Examples: "The ill-tempered clerk snapped at the customers." "The dog became ill-tempered when awakened." The term remains common in both modern and literary English as a concise way to denote a pronounced tendency toward anger.