HTTP/2 200
date: Wed, 08 Oct 2025 22:57:15 GMT
content-type: text/html; charset=utf-8
content-security-policy-report-only: default-src 'self';img-src 'self' data: https://flickr.com https://*.flickr.com https://s.gravatar.com https://s.gravatar.com/avatar https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar https://i1.wp.com/cdn.auth0.com/avatars https://cdn.auth0.com/avatars https://g.stripe.com/ https://ssl.google-analytics.com https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/ https://farm66.static.flickr.com https://www.google-analytics.com https://tpc.googlesyndication.com https://pbs.twimg.com https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net https://*.amazon-adsystem.com https://fundingchoicesmessages.google.com https://*.3lift.com https://ams-pageview-public.s3.amazonaws.com https://www.google.com https://syndication.twitter.com https://image8.pubmatic.com https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net https://*.googleusercontent.com;base-uri 'self';font-src 'self' https: data:;frame-ancestors 'self';frame-src https://js.stripe.com https://platform.twitter.com/ https://syndication.twitter.com/ https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/ https://*.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/ https://www.google.com/ https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/;connect-src 'self' https: https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ppub_config https://bam.nr-data.net/events/1/cb925c8058;object-src none;script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' report-sample https://js.stripe.com/v3/ https://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.12.4.min.js https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.4.1.slim.min.js https://code.jquery.com/jquery-migrate-1.4.1.min.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/popper.js@1.16.0/dist/umd/popper.min.js https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.4.1/js/bootstrap.min.js https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/validate.js/0.13.1/validate.min.js https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/underscore.js/1.8.3/underscore-min.js https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/list.js/1.5.0/list.min.js https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js https://www.googletagmanager.com/ https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js https://js-agent.newrelic.com/nr-spa-1184.min.js https://fundingchoicesmessages.google.com https://bam.nr-data.net https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net https://www.googletagservices.com https://adservice.google.com https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/tether/1.4.0/js/tether.min.js https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.12.9/umd/popper.min.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/clipboard@2.0.8/dist/clipboard.min.js https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/howler/2.1.1/howler.min.js https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/validator/10.9.0/validator.min.js https://*.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/ https://*.googlesyndication.com/ https://platform.twitter.com/js/ https://cdn.ampproject.org https://www.google-analytics.com https://adservice.google.be https://adservice.google.ca https://adservice.google.co.id https://adservice.google.co.mz https://adservice.google.co.th https://adservice.google.co.uk https://adservice.google.co.za https://adservice.google.com.au https://adservice.google.com.ec https://adservice.google.com.hk https://adservice.google.com.ng https://adservice.google.com.np https://adservice.google.com.ph https://adservice.google.com.sa https://adservice.google.de https://adservice.google.es https://adservice.google.fi https://adservice.google.fr https://adservice.google.ie https://adservice.google.it https://adservice.google.lk https://adservice.google.lt https://adservice.google.nl https://adservice.google.no https://adservice.google.rs https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net;script-src-attr none;style-src 'self' https: 'unsafe-inline' report-sample;report-uri https://5f9d927665d1a16209ba908c.endpoint.csper.io
x-dns-prefetch-control: off
expect-ct: max-age=0
x-frame-options: SAMEORIGIN
strict-transport-security: max-age=15552000; includeSubDomains
x-download-options: noopen
x-content-type-options: nosniff
x-permitted-cross-domain-policies: none
referrer-policy: origin-when-cross-origin
x-xss-protection: 0
etag: W/"16a06-ahzkqL/dLbRT/O1O533cICjfAX8"
set-cookie: cookienik=eyJjc3JmU2VjcmV0IjoibGhQaWJCTURxZVAxVm96NWtvTVFuc0RMIn0=; path=/; expires=Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:57:15 GMT; domain=wordnik.com; secure; httponly
set-cookie: cookienik.sig=N8GwByFVfJoAhuAwRe4aiAdBJl8; path=/; expires=Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:57:15 GMT; domain=wordnik.com; secure; httponly
vary: Accept-Encoding
content-encoding: gzip
testy - definition and meaning
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
adjective
from The Century Dictionary.
Synonyms Pettish, touchy, waspish, snappish, peevish, splenetic, captious, peppery.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
adjective
from Wiktionary , Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
adjective irritable .adjective impatience or ill humor.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
adjective
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Alteration of Middle English testif , headstrong, alteration (influenced by Middle English -if , variant of -ive , -ive, as in natif , native) of Old French testu , from Old French teste , head, from Late Latin testa , skull; see teston.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Middle English testif ("headstrong"), from Old French testu , from teste ("head") + -u . Compare modern French tête ("head"), têtu ("stubborn").
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word testy .
Examples
She comes back, a little testy : "Pollo is the Spanish word for CHICKEN!"
The Worst Mexican Restaurant on Earth 2009
She seems to think getting testy is that same as showing strength.
State of the Race: Steve Poizner (R CAND, CA-GOV). | RedState 2010
I especially loved the way she said "testy " - a defining Venetian characteristic
The Guardian World News 2010
Mr. Benn described as testy an exchange of letters between the two leaders over the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.
Israel Matzav 2009
Mr. Benn described as testy an exchange of letters between the two leaders over the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.
Israel Matzav 2009
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) described the meeting as "testy ," and Sen. John Thune (S.D.) called it a "lively discussion."
At President Obama's talks with Senate Republicans, little is accomplished 2010
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) described the meeting as "testy ," and Sen. John Thune (S.D.) called it a "lively discussion."
At President Obama's talks with Senate Republicans, little is accomplished 2010
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), on the other hand, called the meeting "testy ," while Sen. John Thune (R-S. D.) gave it the less conflictual title of a "lively discussion."
Republicans Say 'Thin Skinned' Obama Should 'Take A Valium' 2010
There was only one moment where it approached 'testy ' and I swear I saw a set of rolled eyeballs.
Denis Campbell: Mr. Cairns Goes to Westminster? UK Election Writ Small, Retail & Local 2010
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) described the meeting as "testy ," and Sen. John Thune (S.D.) called it a "lively discussion."
At President Obama's talks with Senate Republicans, little is accomplished 2010
arby commented on the word testy
D'you suppose this is related to testes? (cf. testicular and the brilliant testiculate)
October 4, 2007
reesetee commented on the word testy
Don't think so, arby, though I'm not positive. I think testy is from the Latin (and later, Italian and French) for "head"--so "headstrong," more or less.
There's an interesting word history for testis here.
October 4, 2007
uselessness commented on the word testy
On the contrary, there's a proven correlation. Science said it, history proved it, and I vouched for it. The connection is so real, etymology doesn't know about it yet. But it's pretty much indisputable fact amongst educated people. Some groups have even organized their own religions around this unwavering truth. You bet your buttons, you can totally bank on it.
October 5, 2007
reesetee commented on the word testy
That'll learn me. Never enter uselessness' Land of Madeupical Etymologies without a map.
October 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word testy
It's science!!
October 5, 2007
reesetee commented on the word testy
Never enter uselessness' Land of Madeupical Science without a map.
October 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word testy
*unless you're trying an expeeryment.
October 5, 2007