Tetchy

Pronunciation: /ˈtɛtʃi/

Definitions of tetchy

adjective easily irritated or annoyed

Example Sentences

A1 She gets tetchy when she's hungry.

A2 The tetchy customer complained about the slow service.

B1 His tetchy mood was starting to affect the whole team.

B2 The professor's tetchy response to questions made the students nervous.

C1 The CEO's tetchy behavior was a result of the stress from the upcoming merger.

C2 Despite his tetchy demeanor, he was actually a very kind and generous person.

Examples of tetchy in a Sentence

formal The professor was known to be tetchy when students interrupted his lectures.

informal Don't be so tetchy, I was just asking a question.

slang She's always so tetchy in the mornings before she's had her coffee.

figurative The atmosphere in the office was tetchy, with everyone on edge waiting for the boss's decision.

Grammatical Forms of tetchy

• past tense: tetched
• plural: tetchies
• comparative: more tetchy
• superlative: most tetchy
• present tense: tetches
• future tense: will tetch
• perfect tense: have tetched
• continuous tense: is tetching
• singular: tetchy
• positive degree: tetchy
• infinitive: to tetch
• gerund: tetching
• participle: tetching

Origin and Evolution of tetchy

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'tetchy' originated from the Middle English word 'tacche', meaning 'bad-tempered' or 'touchy'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'tetchy' has retained its original meaning of being easily irritated or annoyed, but has also come to be used more broadly to describe someone who is easily provoked or sensitive.