What does waspish mean?
Definitions for waspish
ˈwɒs pɪʃwaspish
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word waspish.
Princeton's WordNet
bristly, prickly, splenetic, waspishadjective
very irritable
"bristly exchanges between the White House and the press"; "he became prickly and spiteful"; "witty and waspish about his colleagues"
Wiktionary
waspishadjective
Suggestive of the behaviour of a wasp.
waspishadjective
Spiteful or irascible.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Waspishadjective
Peevish; malignant; irritable; irascible.
Etymology: from wasp.
I’ll use you for my laughter,
When you are waspish. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.Come, you wasp, you are too angry.
—— If I be waspish, best beware my sting. William Shakespeare.By the stern brow and waspish action,
Which she did use as she was writing of it,
It bears an angry tenour. William Shakespeare, As you like it.The taylor’s wife was only a good hearty shrew, under the impotency of an unruly waspish humour: she would have her will. Roger L'Estrange.
Upon this gross mistake the poor waspish creature runs on for many leaves. Edward Stillingfleet.
Much do I suffer, much, to keep in peace
This jealous, waspish, wrong-head, rhiming race. Alexander Pope.
ChatGPT
waspish
Waspish refers to being readily expressing anger or irritation, similar to how a wasp might easily sting when provoked. It describes someone's sharp or spiteful behavior or nature, often irritable, snappish, or bad-tempered.
Webster Dictionary
Waspishadjective
resembling a wasp in form; having a slender waist, like a wasp
Waspishadjective
quick to resent a trifling affront; characterized by snappishness; irritable; irascible; petulant; snappish
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
- [["1592","1"],["1624","1"],["1647","1"],["1653","1"],["1678","1"],["1683","1"],["1685","1"],["1686","1"],["1689","2"],["1690","1"],["1692","1"],["1703","1"],["1706","1"],["1707","2"],["1708","2"],["1709","3"],["1713","1"],["1714","1"],["1716","1"],["1718","1"],["1720","3"],["1721","1"],["1723","2"],["1725","4"],["1726","2"],["1728","5"],["1730","1"],["1732","3"],["1734","1"],["1738","1"],["1739","1"],["1740","4"],["1742","2"],["1743","3"],["1744","2"],["1746","1"],["1747","2"],["1748","1"],["1750","2"],["1751","3"],["1752","3"],["1753","1"],["1754","2"],["1755","1"],["1756","2"],["1757","1"],["1758","3"],["1761","1"],["1762","1"],["1763","1"],["1764","2"],["1767","3"],["1768","3"],["1769","4"],["1770","7"],["1772","1"],["1773","1"],["1774","1"],["1776","3"],["1779","1"],["1780","1"],["1783","1"],["1784","3"],["1785","3"],["1786","3"],["1787","4"],["1788","1"],["1789","4"],["1790","1"],["1791","1"],["1792","4"],["1793","1"],["1795","4"],["1796","12"],["1797","6"],["1798","10"],["1799","4"],["1800","5"],["1801","10"],["1802","2"],["1803","8"],["1804","11"],["1805","17"],["1806","19"],["1807","4"],["1808","15"],["1809","13"],["1810","11"],["1811","6"],["1812","22"],["1813","4"],["1814","20"],["1815","6"],["1816","8"],["1817","9"],["1818","12"],["1819","11"],["1820","22"],["1821","10"],["1822","28"],["1823","25"],["1824","55"],["1825","46"],["1826","52"],["1827","22"],["1828","10"],["1829","19"],["1830","26"],["1831","22"],["1832","15"],["1833","33"],["1834","18"],["1835","46"],["1836","35"],["1837","14"],["1838","26"],["1839","36"],["1840","22"],["1841","48"],["1842","30"],["1843","47"],["1844","23"],["1845","48"],["1846","33"],["1847","39"],["1848","17"],["1849","26"],["1850","30"],["1851","64"],["1852","33"],["1853","72"],["1854","74"],["1855","47"],["1856","62"],["1857","38"],["1858","57"],["1859","65"],["1860","60"],["1861","22"],["1862","23"],["1863","35"],["1864","33"],["1865","34"],["1866","30"],["1867","75"],["1868","44"],["1869","54"],["1870","46"],["1871","77"],["1872","34"],["1873","60"],["1874","48"],["1875","37"],["1876","44"],["1877","31"],["1878","69"],["1879","72"],["1880","75"],["1881","59"],["1882","24"],["1883","91"],["1884","57"],["1885","92"],["1886","58"],["1887","76"],["1888","68"],["1889","44"],["1890","96"],["1891","66"],["1892","90"],["1893","51"],["1894","46"],["1895","60"],["1896","60"],["1897","85"],["1898","71"],["1899","97"],["1900","117"],["1901","87"],["1902","120"],["1903","87"],["1904","123"],["1905","107"],["1906","127"],["1907","115"],["1908","116"],["1909","115"],["1910","94"],["1911","90"],["1912","77"],["1913","81"],["1914","78"],["1915","83"],["1916","117"],["1917","47"],["1918","77"],["1919","83"],["1920","122"],["1921","77"],["1922","125"],["1923","129"],["1924","93"],["1925","106"],["1926","123"],["1927","105"],["1928","102"],["1929","85"],["1930","86"],["1931","123"],["1932","118"],["1933","75"],["1934","79"],["1935","108"],["1936","150"],["1937","120"],["1938","145"],["1939","71"],["1940","109"],["1941","78"],["1942","88"],["1943","64"],["1944","83"],["1945","85"],["1946","117"],["1947","120"],["1948","146"],["1949","171"],["1950","104"],["1951","145"],["1952","158"],["1953","103"],["1954","187"],["1955","156"],["1956","197"],["1957","193"],["1958","183"],["1959","195"],["1960","265"],["1961","257"],["1962","316"],["1963","384"],["1964","293"],["1965","318"],["1966","362"],["1967","390"],["1968","524"],["1969","441"],["1970","429"],["1971","404"],["1972","450"],["1973","400"],["1974","315"],["1975","335"],["1976","380"],["1977","424"],["1978","392"],["1979","375"],["1980","392"],["1981","318"],["1982","467"],["1983","459"],["1984","451"],["1985","437"],["1986","426"],["1987","477"],["1988","495"],["1989","524"],["1990","533"],["1991","552"],["1992","502"],["1993","585"],["1994","543"],["1995","540"],["1996","581"],["1997","583"],["1998","594"],["1999","731"],["2000","736"],["2001","688"],["2002","790"],["2003","806"],["2004","958"],["2005","845"],["2006","902"],["2007","1034"],["2008","1559"]]
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of waspish in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of waspish in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for waspish
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
Get even more translations for waspish »
Translation
Find a translation for the waspish definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"waspish." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/waspish>.
Discuss these waspish definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In