English Dictionary

TESTY (testier, testiest)

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

Irregular inflected forms: testier  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation, testiest  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

 Dictionary entry overview: What does testy mean? 

TESTY (adjective)
  The adjective TESTY has 1 sense:

1. easily irritated or annoyedplay

  Familiarity information: TESTY used as an adjective is very rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


TESTY (adjective)

 Declension: comparative and superlative 
Comparative: testier  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Superlative: testiest  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Easily irritated or annoyed

Synonyms:

cranky; fractious; irritable; nettlesome; peckish; peevish; pettish; petulant; scratchy; techy; testy; tetchy

Context example:

not the least nettlesome of his countrymen

Similar:

ill-natured (having an irritable and unpleasant disposition)

Derivation:

testiness (feeling easily irritated)


 Context examples 


It may have been the pain, or it may have been his disappointment at my career, but his manner was more testy than was usual with him, and I fear that there was something of a sneer in his smile as he spoke of my deficiencies.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)



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