feisty

adjective

ˈfī-stē How to pronounce feisty (audio)
Definition of feistynext
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight a feisty hockey player who has spent more than his share of time in the penalty box

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of feisty Quick-witted, feisty, and loving, Neo is the owner of Neo’s Soul Kitchen. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 Bass is playing Cyrus’s pop and rock interests against each other, sometimes enticingly but sometimes divisively, balancing production from longtime Harry Styles affiliate Kid Harpoon and feisty Brooklyn rock quartet Model/Actriz. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 The new album is organic, heartfelt, occasionally feisty and more than occasionally rocking. — Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The film features a feisty turn from Penélope Cruz as a cabaret dancer and a cameo from Glenn Close as a modern-day hispanist, accompanying Spanish stars Miguel Bernardeau, Guitarricadelafuente, Milo Quifes and Carlos Gutiérrez in lead roles. — John Hopewell, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for feisty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feisty
  1. aggressive
  2. militant
  3. hostile
  4. contentious
Adjective
  • Environmentalists flex considerable muscle in the state and found an ally in Newsom, though the outgoing governor’s aggressive climate agenda ran into affordability and federal challenges in recent years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • And definitely the lyrics are a lot more aggressive from Roger.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Tensions between Israel and militant group Hezbollah ratcheted up in 2023 when the latter intensified attacks along Israel’s northern border in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks on the south of the country.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups regularly target anti-polio drives and police protecting health workers, falsely claiming that polio vaccination campaigns are part of a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, known as SWCCs, are elite maritime operators training to operate high-speed, heavily armed boats that transport Navy SEALs into and out of hostile territory, along with other maritime missions.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Even as crime drops and car crashes recede, New York’s streets and parks have grown increasingly hostile to those who are frail, slow, disabled, or small.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • Skip to Main Content Concert Review The first of a historic five-night run at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was contentious and confounding.
    — DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The Ravens, meanwhile, are 4-4 and sit at the bottom of a contentious AFC North.
    — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of contentious

Browse Nearby Words

feistiness
feisty
felicific
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Cite this Entry

“Feisty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feisty. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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