narkyadj.
/ˈnɑːki/, U.S. /ˈnɑrki/, Australian English /ˈnʌːki/ Chiefly British regional and Australian slang.
Irritable, bad-tempered; sarcastic, disparaging.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > irritability > irritable [adjective]
sharpc1000
impatient1377
out-sharpinga1382
teethya1500
fumish1523
testy1526
crabbed1535
tettish1567
peevish1577
kickish1589
splenetic1593
spleenful1594
tetchy1596
wasp-stung1598
touchy1602
spleeny1604
pruriginous1609
teety1621
splenitive1633
peltish1648
irritable1662
splenatic1663
splenetive1678
unheer1691
rusty1694
nettlesome1766
stingy1781
snarly1798
tutty1809
spleenical1818
rileya1824
nettly1825
edgy1837
porcupinal1846
shirty1846
raspish1854
peckish1857
streaky1860
owly1864
teasy1866
fussy1869
raspy1869
spiky1881
chippyc1885
tetchous1890
narky1895
snarky1906
ringy1907
snarkish1912
Scot1916
crooked1945
niggly1952
snooty1959
kvetchy1965
to be on the rag1967
sandpaper1976
gribble1984
splenous-
1895 Leeds Mercury Weekly Suppl. 13 July 3/8 Doan't let's get narky ower it.
1898 B. Kirkby Lakeland Words 105 He were a bit narky ower t' trottin' do.
1943 M. Harrison Reported Safe Arrival 53 I don' mean nothin' narky: on'y 'e [sc. Shakespeare] ain't the sort of bloke me and de Pen 'ud settle dahn to read a basin of.
1973 Irish Times 2 Mar. 14/5 My husband is narky in the house. If I was to bring heaven down it would not satisfy him.
1997 J. Wilson Lottie Project (1998) 15 I was about to bash him on his big head with the servant book but Miss Beckworth got narky and told us to settle down.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1895