Testy means easily irritated. A testy reply, get testy, testy exchanges.
It describes a mood rather than a character — somebody can be testy this morning and pleasant tomorrow — which is what separates it from bad-tempered. It is used constantly in reporting of interviews and press conferences: a testy exchange is one where somebody snapped. Note testily; and that testy comes from the Old French for headstrong, from teste, a head, which is modern French tête.
1adjectivetestyEasily irritated.
“Dad gets a bit testy when he hasn't had his morning coffee.”
testy is a quality of irritability.
Middle English testif meant headstrong, from Old French teste, a head, from Latin testa, an earthen pot. The French têtu, stubborn, is built the same way.
Old French
testu
English, today
testy
Built from
Middle English testif (“headstrong”), from Old French testu, from teste (“head”) + -u. Compare modern French tête (“head”), têtu (“stubborn”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA