tetchy
pronunciation
How to pronounce tetchy in British English: UK [ˈtetʃi]
How to pronounce tetchy in American English: US [ˈtɛtʃi]
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- Adjective:
- easily irritated or annoyed
Word Origin
- tetchy (adj.)
- "easily irritated," 1592, teachie, in "Romeo & Juliet" I.iii.32; of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle English tatch "a mark, quality," derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *tecca, from a Germanic source akin to Old English tacen (see token).
Example
- 1. You 're very tetchy today -- has something upset you ?
- 2. It may make for tetchy government , but it could also moderate the extremes .
- 3. She started to get distinctly tetchy .
- 4. Relations between the allies have become tetchy
- 5. He 's good on routine and he has a car , so he can take them to the zoo or out for a pizza when they 're tetchy and bored .