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 In a feisty address to the nation, Biden framed his race against Trump as forward-versus-backward and sought to convince Americans of a historic economic rebound despite their lingering anxieties. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 The cat caper comedy has teamed with pet brand Travel Cat on an exclusive range of accessories for feisty felines. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2024 The game was feisty between the in-state rivals, with several scrums around the net and in the corners after plays. Aaron Bracy, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 Ruth was small but feisty, often taking on adversaries of twice her heft. Amory Rowe Salem and Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 9 Jan. 2024 Apollonia had evolved from feisty but pliant Galatea to confident creative force. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 The Duke Gets Desperate delights with its feisty heroine, beefy hero, and scorching hot love scenes. EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023 Barbara Pierce Bush has a feisty little toddler on her hands. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023 Lively, 36, known for her impeccable style, rocked a red-and-white tracksuit from Balenciaga’s collaboration with Adidas, which launched in May 2022 that bore a striking resemblance to the iconic red tracksuits famously worn by Glee's feisty cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester (played by Jane Lynch). Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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