testy

Testy is an English adjective meaning easily irritated or given to sudden annoyance. It describes someone who responds to minor provocations with impatience or a short temper, and it can also describe a mood, exchange, or tone that is sharp or irritable. The term is commonly used in everyday speech and in written prose, and it is milder than more severe terms such as irascible or cantankerous.

In usage, testy is often applied to people: for example, a person may become testy after a long flight or a tense meeting. It can also describe how someone speaks or how a discussion unfolds, as in a testy exchange or testy remarks. While it is more commonly used of humans, the adjective can occasionally appear in literary contexts describing moods or atmospheres that feel irritable.

Etymology: The origin of testy is uncertain; earliest uses appear in Middle English (14th–15th centuries). Some dictionaries propose a link to the noun test or to senses related to trial or ordeal, implying irritability triggered by stress, but there is no consensus.

See also: irritable, crabby, short-tempered, cantankerous; antonyms include calm, patient. In modern usage, testy typically conveys a milder, everyday irritability rather than a deep-seated temperament.