humoursome

A child's humoursome mood changes quickly from laughter to tears.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Capricious or changeable in mood: "humoursome" describes a person who is subject to frequent or unpredictable changes in temperament, often being difficult to please.
   • Peevish or irritable: It can also mean being prone to fits of anger, sulkiness, or ill temper.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Her humoursome nature made it hard for her colleagues to know how she would react. (Her mood changed unpredictably, causing difficulty in interactions.)
  • The child was humoursome, crying one moment and laughing the next. (The child was capricious and irritable.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in a humoursome state": to be experiencing a period of irritability or moodiness.

  • He was in a humoursome state after the long journey, snapping at everyone. (He was irritable due to fatigue.)

• "a humoursome disposition": a natural tendency toward moodiness or capriciousness.

  • Her humoursome disposition made her difficult to live with. (Her innate tendency to change moods caused conflict.)

Variants and Related Words

• Humour (n): the quality of being amusing or the state of one's mood.

  • She has a great sense of humour. (She appreciates or creates comedy.)

• Humorous (adj): funny or amusing.

  • His humorous remarks lightened the mood. (His jokes made people laugh.)

• Humourless (adj): lacking a sense of humour; serious.

  • The lecture was humourless and dry. (It was not entertaining.)

Synonyms

• Capricious: given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood.
• Peevish: easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
• Irritable: having a tendency to be easily annoyed or angered.
• Whimsical: playfully quaint or fanciful, often implying sudden changes of mind.

Related Idioms

• To be in a bad humour: to be in a irritable or grumpy mood.

  • Don't talk to him now; he's in a bad humour. (He is irritable at this moment.)

• To humour someone: to indulge or accommodate someone's mood or wishes, especially to avoid upsetting them.

  • She humoured her humoursome boss by agreeing with his plans. (She went along with his mood to keep the peace.)