feistier; feistiest
1
chiefly Southern US and Midland US
a
: full of nervous energy : fidgety
c
: exuberantly frisky
2
: having or showing a lively aggressiveness : spunky
the movie's feisty heroine
feistiness noun

Did you know?

In certain parts of the United States, most notably the South, the noun feist (pronounced to rhyme with heist) refers to a small dog used in hunting small game animals (such as squirrels). Also spelled fice or fyce, it comes from an obsolete term, "fisting hound," that derived from another obsolete term, fist, a verb that once meant "to break wind." The term feisty has come a long way from its flatulent origin, but its small-dog association still seems relevant: the term conveys the spunk and determination that one may associate with a dog that manages to make its presence known (either through its bark or its bite) despite its small size.

Examples of feisty in a Sentence

I was feisty, because people misinterpret what country music is, just like they think Southerners are a bunch of hicks. Wynonna Judd, quoted in Rolling Stone, 8-22 July 1993
Humorist Cynthia Heimel never plays it safe, bless her feisty little heart. She's outrageous and hilarious, daring to say exactly what she and millions of other women really think … Donna Seaman, Booklist, 15 May 1993
… Milwaukee was the last major industrial city to elect a Socialist mayor—Frank P. Zeidler, a feisty octogenarian who teaches today at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee … Charles P. Pierce, Village Voice, 10 Mar. 1992
She never tired of hearing anecdotes from her childhood, and she particularly liked to hear how feisty she had been … Lorene Cary, Black Ice, 1991
The novel features a feisty heroine. Even her opponents admire her feisty spirit.
Recent Examples on the Web Confrontations between protesters and police got feisty as Democrats nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey to take on former Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican presidential nominee that year. Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Aug. 2024 But as the event went on, the two got increasingly feisty and displayed deep disdain for each other. Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post, 28 June 2024 The famously feisty and extremely profitable writer-director has responded to accusations slung at him by Independence Day writer-director Roland Emmerich, with whom Cameron briefly worked on mounting a long-gestating remake of the 1966 adventure film Fantastic Voyage. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2024 The game was feisty from the start, with French point guard Romane Bernies racking up three personal fouls before the end of the first quarter. Julie Mazziotta, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for feisty 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feisty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

feist + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of feisty was in 1896

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Dictionary Entries Near feisty

Cite this Entry

“Feisty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feisty. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

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