tetchy

adjective

ˈte-chē How to pronounce tetchy (audio)
Definition of tetchynext
as in irritable
easily offended a morose and tetchy resident of a nursing home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 tetchy Smart, capable and quick-witted, Toha’s current joy comes from her relationship with Nelly (Khadija Ahmed), the spoiled granddaughter of her employer (Hanan Youssef), a tetchy, elderly diabetic. — Alissa Simon, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026 Hallmarks of the best Halloween travel destinations usually entail a moody fall landscape, local legends that involve a tetchy ghost, vampire, or other variety of ominous being, and themed activities like pumpkin patches and cemetery tours. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025 Reynolds is a tetchy tyrant, who, enabled by his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville), has embraced a need to have things just so as a means of warding off vulnerability. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025 England's last competitive result was a 1-0 win in Andorra back in June when Harry Kane scored the only goal in a surprisingly tetchy result for the visiting team. — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tetchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tetchy
  1. irritable
  2. sensitive
  3. huffy
  4. touchy
  5. ticklish
  6. thin-skinned
Adjective
  • As the fascination with Ernetti grows into something unhealthy, Béatrice subtly grows more tired, more distracted, more irritable and desperate for answers, small changes Sellier conveys with a smart sense of restraint.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The product immediately calmed down my irritable, rosacea-prone skin while delivering intense hydration that lasted all day.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Tehran has no intention of backing down in the face of an American naval blockade and attacks on its oil tankers, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the timing of the September meeting is politically sensitive, arriving just ahead of the US midterms.
    — , CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Ben Green’s thumping bass leads to huffy breathing, which leads to bone-snapping drum machine rhythms and an ectoplasmic elastic guitar riff.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Eleven hours into this 15-hour shift, most of the attending’s best qualities — his pragmatic approach to medicine, his encouragement of young colleagues, his ability to roll with unexpected challenges — have curdled into huffy dismissiveness and defensive blind spots.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of huffy
Adjective
  • The French Open crowd is famously touchy, especially when one of their own is involved.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Know More The Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference moved this week to bar players who have signed pro contracts from playing college sports, a sign of how touchy the issue is as the college football season starts this weekend.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of touchy
Adjective
  • By combining literacy with something welcoming and familiar like food, Cruz hopes to make the ticklish topic more approachable.
    — Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
  • But all that interest, here, also can generate another ticklish dynamic.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Definition of ticklish
Adjective
  • Being front and center in the political sphere is certainly not for the thin-skinned, and no one knows that more than Vice President JD Vance's wife, Usha.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Compared to thin-skinned fruits like apples or berries, citrus poses a much lower risk.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of thin-skinned

Browse Nearby Words

testy
tetchy
tête-à-tête
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Cite this Entry

“Tetchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tetchy. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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