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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Restricting them can increase irritability, low mood, food preoccupation, and risk of binge eating.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
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Sleep also plays a major role in emotional regulation and cognitive performance as insufficient sleep can impair attention, decision-making and reaction time while also increasing irritability and sensitivity to stress.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The mayor denounced the attack as a cowardly act of aggression against the city's Jewish community.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
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Telegraphing our intentions by running the options through Congress would have only caused further acts of aggression by Iran and created an even worse situation.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Testiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testiness. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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