as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
attributed his unusual testiness this morning to being hungry
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Recent Examples of testiness
The Warriors trailed by 11 points after a first quarter notable mostly for some late Golden State testiness.
—
Ron Kroichick,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Jan. 2026
Corbett said the testiness started in Florida and returned with the team to Charlotte.
—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Ron Kroichick,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Jan. 2026
Corbett said the testiness started in Florida and returned with the team to Charlotte.
—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testiness
Noun
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Such symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, mood swings and insomnia.
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The symptoms often look different in dads—anger or sudden outbursts, irritability and substance misuse, for example.
Noun
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Several Gulf countries have strongly denounced Iran's drone strikes Saturday on the island nation of Bahrain, while vowing to stand united against any possible aggression from Tehran in the future.
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And the specter of Russian military aggression has spurred much talk of pouring money into defense instead.
Cite this Entry
“Testiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testiness. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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