tetchy

adjective \ ˈte-chē \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of tetchy

tetchier; tetchiest

: irritably or peevishly sensitive : touchy

the tetchy manner of two women living in the same house
—Elizabeth Taylor †1975

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tetchily

play \ˈte-chə-lē\ adverb

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tetchiness

play \ˈte-chē-nəs\ noun

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Examples of tetchy in a Sentence

a morose and tetchy resident of a nursing home

Recent Examples of tetchy from the Web

Widely criticised for the unadventurous nature of United's performances for much of this season, Mourinho has been increasingly tetchy of late.

— afp, chicagotribune.com, "Mourinho: "People with a brain" understand Man United overhaul," 22 Mar. 2018
But the rail system and its overhead electric catenary wire system - a tetchy tangle of wires dating to 1907 - are anything but pretty.

— lynnley browning, Newsweek, "The Perils of Metro-North," 20 Feb. 2014
North Korea's tetchy relationship with China is driven by its desire not to appear like a satellite state, according to Kelly.

— alexander smith, NBC News, "China and North Korea: Tough Talk Puts Allies ‘at a Crossroads’," 10 May 2017
The men are more problematic: Gere's tetchy exasperation often reads like actorly frustration or boredom, and while Coogan works hard at finding what makes Paul tick, like a time bomb, the effort feels, well, effortful.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'The Dinner' review: Brothers' conflict comes to a boil over lavish meal," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tetchy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Tetchy is a word that may have been coined by Shakespeare - its first known use in English occurs in Romeo and Juliet (1592). Etymologists are not certain how the word came about, but some have suggested that it derives from "tetch," an obsolete noun meaning "habit." The similarity both in meaning and pronunciation to "touchy" might lead you to conclude that "tetchy" is related to that word, but there is no conclusive evidence to suggest such a connection. The adjectives "teched" and tetched, meaning "mentally unbalanced," are variations of "touched," and are probably also unrelated to "tetchy."