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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Recent Examples of testy
Things got testy with the Mammoth jamming away at Korpisalo after the whistle and Nikita Zadorov took issue with it, tussling with Brandon Tanev.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Sanders and son Shedeur were testy with Norvell during the postgame handshake at Folsom Field, after Norvell commented on Coach Prime's penchant for wearing sunglasses and a hat during interviews.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn had a testy exchange with a reporter on Sunday following the team’s 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The testy scenes underscore an increasingly bitter rapport between America's two major political parties, as the first government shutdown in seven years approaches the start of a third week.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for testy
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Sanders and son Shedeur were testy with Norvell during the postgame handshake at Folsom Field, after Norvell commented on Coach Prime's penchant for wearing sunglasses and a hat during interviews.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn had a testy exchange with a reporter on Sunday following the team’s 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The testy scenes underscore an increasingly bitter rapport between America's two major political parties, as the first government shutdown in seven years approaches the start of a third week.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for testy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testy
Adjective
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Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Search for answers continues following UPS plane crash As the community in Louisville, Kentucky, mourns those killed in a fiery United Parcel Service cargo plane crash, authorities warned that answers for family members may still be a way off.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it, confronting family, identity, and a relationship that becomes life-or-death.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Testy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testy. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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