snappish — irritable and inclined to speak sharply; bad-tempered
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: irritable and inclined to speak sharply; bad-tempered
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈsnæpɪʃ/
Example Sentences
- My boss gets snappish when he hasn't had his morning coffee.
- The tired toddler became increasingly snappish as naptime approached.
- She gave a snappish response when asked about her failed cooking experiment.
snappish
ADJECTIVE[/ˈsnæpɪʃ/]
irritable and inclined to speak sharply; bad-tempered

The waiter turned snappish after his fifteenth hour on shift.

The snappish mapmaker grows more mappish at clappish praise!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From the verb 'snap' (meaning to bite suddenly or make a sharp cracking sound) plus the suffix '-ish', first appearing in the 16th century. The word captures the idea of someone who speaks sharply and irritably, like a dog that snaps at people.
Breakdown
snap (to bite suddenly/speak sharply) + -ish (having the quality of, inclined to)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My boss gets snappish when he hasn't had his morning coffee.”
“The tired toddler became increasingly snappish as naptime approached.”
“She gave a snappish response when asked about her failed cooking experiment.”
“The professor's snappish comments made the students nervous during the exam review.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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