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
But while Trump and Putin speak of each other with cordiality, relations are testier between the two countries than the rhetoric would indicate.
—
Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 26 May 2025
But the match, which took place at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, N.J., turned testy when Paris Saint-Germain’s Joāo Neves received a red card for pulling Marc Cucurella down by his hair.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
During a testy back-and-forth with Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Hegseth did say that the Marines in Los Angeles are not authorized to fire warning shots.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Daybell represented herself during the trial, once being removed from court after a testy exchange with the judge.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for testy
Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 26 May 2025
But the match, which took place at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, N.J., turned testy when Paris Saint-Germain’s Joāo Neves received a red card for pulling Marc Cucurella down by his hair.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
During a testy back-and-forth with Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Hegseth did say that the Marines in Los Angeles are not authorized to fire warning shots.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Daybell represented herself during the trial, once being removed from court after a testy exchange with the judge.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for testy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testy
Adjective
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Avi tries to comfort his grieving (read: irritable) mother by saying at least his grandmother and grandfather are together again in Heaven.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
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For years men have blamed divorce on menopause and said women are irritable and irrational, says Alyx Coble-Frake, founder of The Agenda, an app that helps women track their menstrual cycle to help increase productivity.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While Starship traveled its furthest distance of 2025 during its May 27 flight, the test marked the third time in a row that the spacecraft came apart in a fiery mishap before attempting key objectives.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
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After the intensity of the Virgo New Moon and the deep-dive vibes of the Scorpio Moon earlier in the week, this fiery lunar shift invites us to shake things off.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Testy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testy. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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