feisty

adjective

ˈfī-stē 

feistier; feistiest

1

chiefly Southern US and Midland US

a

: full of nervous energy : fidgety

b

: touchy, quarrelsome

c

: exuberantly frisky

2

: having or showing a lively aggressiveness : spunky

the movie's feisty heroine

feistiness noun

Did you know?

In some parts of the southern United States, the word feist (pronounced to rhyme with heist) has been used since the 18th century as a term for a small dog used in hunting more diminutive game animals (such as squirrels). The word comes from the much older, now obsolete word fisting (pronounced as “feisting” would be) meaning “breaking wind,” which was used scornfully in the 16th and 17th centuries to describe gassy pooches. Feisty developed in the late 19th century, its flatulent origin lost, but its small-dog association still visible with a squint: the term conveys the spunk and determination that one may associate with a dog that manages to make its presence known, through its bark or its bite—or perhaps even its indifference to olfactory decorum—despite its small size.

Synonyms

• aggressive
• militant
• hostile
• contentious

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

Quickly: To start with the tennis that stayed good: Iga Świątek beat Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to win the Open title, sending a feisty message to the rest of the women’s tennis world as the U.S. Open approaches. —Chris Branch, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

There’s also a tree symbolizing growth, along with a Hornet’s Nest, a nod to Charlotte’s feisty Revolutionary War spirit. —Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025

An accomplished pianist, feisty Etta was in Fort Worth visiting her Uncle Dave and Aunt Carie Katzenstein Gilbert. —Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2025

Julia swears that she can’t be held as a prisoner, but Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), also known as Simon Fraser, quickly puts this feisty woman in her place. —Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

feist + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!