as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
that coworker would be easier to get along with if she weren't so testy all the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 testy
During the hearing, Noem had a particularly testy exchange with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
—
Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2025
Unions representing sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and lifeguards made a public pitch Thursday for more support in increasingly testy contract negotiations, releasing a half-hour documentary that highlighted their members’ harrowing tales from the first days of the fires.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
No surprise, things got testy Referee Héctor Martínez inserted himself into the match regularly, handing out five yellow cards through the first half alone.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
Instead, this year’s Las Vegas gathering was a tense, testy affair that threatened to resurface old tensions between studios and exhibitors.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for testy
Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2025
Unions representing sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and lifeguards made a public pitch Thursday for more support in increasingly testy contract negotiations, releasing a half-hour documentary that highlighted their members’ harrowing tales from the first days of the fires.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
No surprise, things got testy Referee Héctor Martínez inserted himself into the match regularly, handing out five yellow cards through the first half alone.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
Instead, this year’s Las Vegas gathering was a tense, testy affair that threatened to resurface old tensions between studios and exhibitors.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for testy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testy
Adjective
-
Cass fulfills his obligations in a particularly irritable way.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
-
One person’s fatigue is another’s back pain, is another’s migraine or irritable bowel, or long Covid, and so on.—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While some brands promise heat but don’t deliver, this lives up to the hype with a fiery blast of red jalapeño and habanero chilis.—
Sabrina Weiss,
People.com,
4 June 2025
-
Boulder attack suspect’s family detained The wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in the fiery assault on Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, have been detained by immigration officials, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Testy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testy. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share