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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of testy
At the hearing, Bondi and Massie had a testy exchange, a rarity for two Republicans.
—
Terry Collins, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Dreher emerged from the conservative blogosphere in the 2000s and won fans with his daily stream of testy opinions and unguarded anecdotal writing.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
In China, consumerism appears to outweigh nationalism regardless of how testy relations have become in recent diplomatic spats with countries like Japan and the United States.
—Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The game had moments of testy exchanges between the clubs, the Fire in their striking red uniforms and the Law in ominous black tops.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for testy
Terry Collins, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Dreher emerged from the conservative blogosphere in the 2000s and won fans with his daily stream of testy opinions and unguarded anecdotal writing.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
In China, consumerism appears to outweigh nationalism regardless of how testy relations have become in recent diplomatic spats with countries like Japan and the United States.
—Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The game had moments of testy exchanges between the clubs, the Fire in their striking red uniforms and the Law in ominous black tops.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for testy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testy
Adjective
-
Rather than get irritable online, Medeiros did something positive about it.—
Dan Medeiros,
The Herald News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Manic episodes are described as prolonged periods of mood instability, in which a person can experience extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively, feel depressed or unusually irritable.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During a fiery congressional hearing last month, Democrats excoriated Bondi over haphazard redactions in the Epstein files that exposed intimate details about victims and included nude photographs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
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Blonde ambition, but be a fiery redhead and add a dash of alien glamour.—
Mykenna Maniece,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Testy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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