Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very irritable or bad-tempered: Describes a person who is easily annoyed, prone to anger, or characterized by ill humor.
   • Of or relating to the spleen: Pertaining to the bodily organ, the spleen, or to the obsolete medical theory that the spleen was the source of melancholy or ill temper.

Usage

• Describing Irritability: Used to characterize a person's mood or disposition as peevish, spiteful, or resentful.
• Medical/Historical Context: Used in historical or medical contexts to describe something related to the spleen.

Examples

• Adjective (Irritable):
  • His splenetic outbursts made him difficult to work with.
  • The critic's splenetic review tore the film apart.
• Adjective (Relating to the spleen):
  • The old medical text described a splenetic disorder. (This usage is now rare.)

Advanced Usage

• "splenetic humor": In historical context, refers to one of the four bodily humors (black bile) believed to cause melancholy.
• "splenetic diatribe": A speech or piece of writing filled with bitter, ill-tempered criticism.
  • The editorial was a splenetic diatribe against the government's new policy.

Variants and Related Words

• Splenetically (adverb): In a splenetic manner.
  • He complained splenetically about the service.
• Spleneticism (noun, rare): The state or quality of being splenetic.

Synonyms

• Irritable: Easily annoyed.
• Peevish: Easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
• Waspish: Sharply irritable.
• Cantankerous: Bad-tempered and argumentative.
• Bilious (shares the historical humor connection): Spiteful or bad-tempered.

Antonyms

• Good-natured: Kind and patient.
• Amiable: Friendly and pleasant.
• Genial: Cheerful and friendly.
• Placid: Not easily upset or excited.

Word Origin

From Late Latin spleneticus, from Latin splen, from Greek splēn (spleen). The connection to irritability stems from the ancient belief that the spleen secreted black bile, which caused melancholy and ill temper.

Adjective

1. very irritable
   • bristly exchanges between the White House and the press
   • he became prickly and spiteful
   • witty and waspish about his colleagues
2. of or relating to the spleen