testy

adjective

tes·​ty ˈte-stē 

testier; testiest

1

: easily annoyed : irritable

2

: marked by impatience or ill humor

testy remarks

testily

ˈte-stə-lē 

adverb

testiness

ˈte-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of testy

• irritable
• fiery

Examples of testy in a Sentence

that coworker would be easier to get along with if she weren't so testy all the time

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, your personal life looks a little testy this month. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026

Argentina will face Spain in the FIFA men’s World Cup final on Sunday, after the defending champions beat England 2-1 in a testy showdown on Wednesday. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 15 July 2026

The first half was a scrappy, testy affair with very little rhythm or rhyme from both teams. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Despite this testy demeanor, fine hair is a little misunderstood. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English testif, from Anglo-French, headstrong, from teste head — more at tester entry 2

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for testy

• arrestee
• contestee

Kids Definition

testy

adjective

tes·​ty ˈtes-tē 

testier; testiest

: easily annoyed : irritable

testily

-tə-lē 

adverb

testiness

-tē-nəs 

noun