TESTINESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does testiness mean? 

• TESTINESS (noun)
  The noun TESTINESS has 1 sense:

1. feeling easily irritated

  Familiarity information: TESTINESS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TESTINESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feeling easily irritated

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

testiness; tetchiness; touchiness

Hypernyms ("testiness" is a kind of...):

choler; crossness; fretfulness; fussiness; irritability; peevishness; petulance (an irritable petulant feeling)

Derivation:

testy (easily irritated or annoyed)

 Context examples 

"I'm sorry for that, and ought to thank him for not shaking me, I suppose. What the dickens does the fellow expect?" and the old gentleman looked a trifle ashamed of his own testiness.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)