testy
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See irritable.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of testy
First recorded in 1325–75; late Middle English testi, alteration of Middle French testu “headstrong”; replacing Middle English testif, from Middle French. See test 2, -ive
Explanation
You might feel a bit testy before taking a test, but the words test and testy are unrelated. Feeling testy means being peeved, annoyed, or irritated. The adjective testy is associated with being irritable and on edge. If you find yourself frustrated and becoming impatient, you might make a testy remark like “What the heck is taking so long?” If a family member is acting particularly cranky over breakfast, you might say, “Well, aren’t you testy this morning!” However, a comment like that could be met with a testy reply such as “Mind your own business!”
Vocabulary lists containing testy
Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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Out of the Dust
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Julius Caesar
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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.
In sometimes testy exchanges with OpenAI's lawyers, and indeed the judge, he has argued Altman and fellow executive Greg Brockman "stole a charity" by pursuing profit-generating initiatives he felt went against its founding mission.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
Ties remain cool with former colonial power France, which was swift to call for Bazoum's release, while relations with the European Union are similarly testy.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
When I asked the Vermont Independent what could be done to return to some semblance of normalcy, he seemed testy, waved his hands and said, “We’re doing the best we can.”
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026
Hutchison’s controlling shareholder, 97-year-old Li Ka-shing, has sometimes had a testy relationship with Beijing, in particular since Xi Jinping became China’s leader in 2012.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
My absences were beginning to displease Gertrude and she grew testy with me.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
