as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
extremely waspish, she uses her wit viciously when irritated
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Recent Examples of waspish
After some increasingly waspish bickering between Aleida and Irina, the group manages to agree once more on the importance of the Space Elevator and Titan mission succeeding unaffected by the ongoing protests.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Spitting Image has delivered a typically waspish response after Deadline revealed this week that the show had been served with a lawsuit by the owners of Paddington Bear.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
But what a response — a performance full of waspish pressing, muscular defending and precise, efficient counters.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
In contrast to her expansive mate, Toklas was a waspish temple gatekeeper who never ceased to hold grudges.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
At his waspish best, Mr. Wheatcroft is entertaining on all this.
—Richard Aldous, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021
The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause — is not, to put it mildly, pleased.
—David Benedict, Variety, 19 Aug. 2021
Once again, waspish commentators noted, an American woman has caused a ruction in the royal family.
—Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020
The book brings to life characters such as the waspish U.S. Army general Joseph Stilwell and the eccentric U.S. ambassador Patrick Hurley.
—Richard Bernstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2014
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Spitting Image has delivered a typically waspish response after Deadline revealed this week that the show had been served with a lawsuit by the owners of Paddington Bear.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
But what a response — a performance full of waspish pressing, muscular defending and precise, efficient counters.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
In contrast to her expansive mate, Toklas was a waspish temple gatekeeper who never ceased to hold grudges.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
At his waspish best, Mr. Wheatcroft is entertaining on all this.
—Richard Aldous, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021
The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause — is not, to put it mildly, pleased.
—David Benedict, Variety, 19 Aug. 2021
Once again, waspish commentators noted, an American woman has caused a ruction in the royal family.
—Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020
The book brings to life characters such as the waspish U.S. Army general Joseph Stilwell and the eccentric U.S. ambassador Patrick Hurley.
—Richard Bernstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waspish
Adjective
-
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel disease?—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps through feeling more irritable, more anxious, or wanting to isolate.—
Joy Harden Bradford,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One is aji verde, a fiery, electric green sauce made with Peruvian yellow peppers, and huacatay, a pungent, black mint with hints of tarragon and citrus.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In the video, an officer tries to use a key to enter the residence when the front of the building explodes in a fiery blast.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waspish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waspish. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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