feisty
Americanadjective
-
feistier,
comparative
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feistiest
superlative
-
full of animation, energy, or courage; spirited; spunky; plucky.
The champion is faced with a feisty challenger.
-
ill-tempered; pugnacious.
-
troublesome; difficult.
feisty legal problems.
adjective
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lively, resilient, and self-reliant
-
frisky
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irritable
Usage
What does feisty mean? Feisty is used to describe someone or something that is full of energy or courage. Someone who’s described as feisty usually has a strong will and is unafraid of showing it, even in difficult circumstances or when challenged. Feisty is also used to describe a person or animal that is ill-tempered: Jack gets feisty when he is tired. Sometimes feisty is used to describe someone or something that is troublesome: My computer gets feisty whenever the software updates. Feisty can be used as a compliment, praising someone’s courage, spiritedness, or pluckiness. Or it can be used somewhat critically, suggesting someone is prone to getting angry. Feisty depends on how someone thinks about the words and actions of the person or thing they think is feisty. Example: It took hours to catch the feisty puppy who easily outran all of us.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of feisty
Explanation
Feisty is a word for someone who is touchy or quarrelsome. It can also mean "showing courage or determination." If you're huffy or thin-skinned, you're feisty. Feisty people often seem to be itching for a fight. On the other hand, this has a more positive meaning. It may also describe a courageous or spirited person, especially one who is smaller or an underdog. A small boxer knocking out a huge opponent is feisty. Little dogs barking at huge dogs are feisty in both senses: they're being brave, but they're also a little too quick to open their yaps.
Vocabulary lists containing feisty
Dear Martin
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Game Changer
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Warriors Don't Cry (Abridged)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She was elected to Congress in 2013 and represents a district that includes much of the state capitol, Columbus, and has a reputation for being feisty and hardworking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
What’s more, Mitchell’s film is feisty and unpredictable, always managing to stay one step ahead of the viewer.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Watching it in person was even better than watching it online," Fox host and conservative activist Riley Gaines wrote on X after one particularly feisty briefing room exchange.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“She is eating on her own, her energy and alertness have noticeably improved, and she has become much more feisty during feedings.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The pterodactyls, Dr. Barlow Sloan’s Dinoguide declared, are a feisty and skittish bunch.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
These Bruins are deeper, more talented and feistier than the freshman-heavy bunch that finished with a losing record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2024
When I want something a little feistier and more savory, to quickly layer onto a pizza or lasagna or eggplant parm — especially when I have no time at all — Heidi's is it.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2022
Unseld and Smith helped kick-start a feistier second half, but the Wizards had an impossible game of catch-up.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022
Yet the feistier episodes were full-bodied and exciting.
From New York Times ● Aug. 3, 2021
The kid on the other tire looked feistier than her pal.
From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli
And that experience and nous will be needed to deal with some of the feistiest fans in American sport and home players desperate to regain the trophy.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
At 5 feet 7 and 150 pounds, 17-year-old senior Robert Sarmiento of San Pedro is the feistiest, most exciting football player in the City Section.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2021
Check out some enduring trends showcased by each of Miami’s feistiest citizens.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 16, 2020
Jamie Florio, 29, said doctors and nurses told her that although Connor was the smallest baby they’d ever seen, he was also the feistiest.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2019
Miranda Lambert is one of the feistiest and most accomplished live performers in country music.
From New York Times ● Feb. 20, 2018
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
