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testily

The adverb testily means angrily, or in an irritated way. When you speak testily, you talk in an impatient, sharp voice.

When you do something testily, you're not just mad — you're easily irritated or frustrated. If you respond testily to your little sister's request for more ice cream, you're probably fed up with hearing her voice. When people are tired or overworked, they're more likely to speak or act testily. The origin is Middle English, testif, "headstrong," from the Old French testu, which means "stubborn," or literally, "heady," with its Latin root testa, or "skull."

Definitions of testily
  1. adverb
    in a petulant manner
    “he said testily
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