feisty
Americanadjective
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full of animation, energy, or courage; spirited; spunky; plucky.
The champion is faced with a feisty challenger.
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ill-tempered; pugnacious.
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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
- feistily adverb
- feistiness noun
Etymology
Origin of feisty
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.
“We were very prepared to handle any lung problems the baby might have. But he came out of anesthesia pretty quickly and he was feisty,” Dayanim said.
From Los Angeles Times
The first Tyne-Wear derby in the Premier League since 2016 is going to be loud, passionate, feisty - and it could be one of those games that is all drama but little goalmouth action.
From BBC
But no matter, if Sawdust is no longer a feisty little upstart it once was, it’s still a home for anything-goes, left of center art.
From Los Angeles Times
“It likes being feisty. It likes a sense of unpredictability.”
From Salon
Yes, they picked up six yellow cards on Sunday in what was a feisty London derby, but they kept 11 men on the pitch.
From BBC
Definitions 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.
