1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
watch out for the choleric librarian at the reference desk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angry
feeling or showing anger
I absolutely get choleric when a telemarketer calls during the dinner hour
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of choleric
Spiced with verbal humor, the necessary expositional scenes are expeditiously handled, reintroducing such Superman regulars as Jackie Cooper, the Daily Planet’s choleric editor, and Margot Kidder in her familiar role of Lois Lane, girl reporter.
—
Arthur Knight, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
Even outside politics, Mr. Jones’s choleric, wide-eyed style has influenced the way in which a new generation of conspiracy theorists looks for fame online.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2022
Mask agonists tend to be both crumbly and choleric, a bad combination and ample reason to seek comfort.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022
He is replaced by a choleric, more professional West Indian, a lean black man with a faint, unplaceable accent.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021
Both have professed deep affection for the comic-book series about a globe-trotting boy reporter, his wirehaired fox terrier, and his choleric seafaring friend.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choleric
Adjective
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Some of the consequences of owing your body sleep are readily apparent, like feeling drowsy, irritable, or brain-foggy, or catching seemingly every virus.—
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Accompanying Rayner through these daily adventures were the irritable duck Chelveston (named after his English bomber base) and the gentle dog puppet Cuddly Dudley.—
Adjective
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Robby is angry at himself for not seeing it.—
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None of the referees appeared to be struck by the objects being thrown on the court, despite video showing a windfall of debris raining down from the angry crowd.—
Adjective
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Maduro’s predecessor, the fiery Hugo Chávez, elected in 1998, expanded social services, including housing and education, thanks to the country’s oil bonanza, which generated revenues estimated at some $981 billion between 1999 and 2011 as crude prices soared.—
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White cast-iron chairs are perfectly positioned on a terrace to catch Stromboli’s volcanic smoke-show, and occasional fiery belch, in the distance over a lazy cocktail.—
Adjective
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The real reason, unquestionably, is that Putin is indignant that Zelensky stood up to his bullying.—
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But what really kickstarts Ron’s detective brain again is the realization (thanks to some indignant words from a caller who otherwise limits himself to heavy breathing) that the conspiracy doesn’t end with Alice Quintana.—
Adjective
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Things eventually come to a head back in Cairo, where local police arrest Roper and his team, only for the enraged buyers, who were defrauded due to Pine's intervention, to seize the convoy.—
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If not for the deeply funny asides and anecdotes from the book’s fictional characters, the reader would be left enraged and shaking.—
Adjective
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And everyone is mad at Andrew—though this one feels like a rumor and more reality.—
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He’s been thrown straight into a mad month, in which Chelsea have Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League fixtures.—
Adjective
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Soon, the faces of the angered New York City citizens around her soften.—
Adjective
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Anaheim had a furious rally in the third, outshooting Washington 17-5.—
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For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion.—
Cite this Entry
“Choleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choleric. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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