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
-
Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, sleep issues, joint and muscle discomfort, night sweats, forgetfulness, moodiness, and irritability.—
Laura Schober,
Health,
23 Apr. 2026
-
These rapid blood sugar spikes and dips can drain you of your energy, leading to sluggishness, irritability, and increased hunger.—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For her, this was practically homicidal aggression.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Testiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testiness. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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