I’ve only heard and seen the word “irascible” applied to a person and once used it to describe ones instrument, which I understand because you can anthropomorphize an object. Can you use it to describe a relationship? For example, “our relationship was irascible”, meaning that any small misunderstandings would easily turn into a fight. Or is it that I can’t apply it to a concept because a relationship in itself doesn’t have any qualities? And in this case it’s the person that is “irascible” and causing the fight?

Question

I’ve only heard and seen the word “irascible” applied to a person and once used it to describe ones instrument, which I understand because you can  anthropomorphize an object. Can you use it to describe a relationship? For example, “our relationship was irascible”, meaning that any small  misunderstandings would easily turn into a fight. Or is it that I can’t apply it to a concept because a relationship in itself doesn’t have any qualities? And in this case it’s the person that is “irascible” and causing the fight?

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I checked a few online dictionaries, and every example sentence except one used "irascible" to describe a person. The only example that was different described a "reaction" as "irascible." I think a better adjective for a relationship would be "volatile."

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Can irascibility be a temporary state? As in "you are so irascible today!"

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It means easily capable of growing angry, but as J.K. said, it seems to apply only to individuals. Although applying it to a relationship feels unusual to me, I cannot say why it would be wrong. Certainly people would understand what you meant. We do talk often of "angry", "hostile", "bellicose", etc., relationships. Instead of saying the relationship was irascible, I would say something like:
"in a split second it would turn to anger".

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Yes, it only really applies to a person....or if you were to anthropomorphise something.

However, it certainly doesn't apply very easily to a relationship. That would be odd.

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P.S. my cat is irascible!!!