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feisty Definition

feisty (fīs)

adjective feisti·er, feisti·est

Informal, Dialectal full of spirit; specif.,

  1. quarrelsome, aggressive, belligerent, etc.
  2. lively, energetic, spunky, etc.

Etymology: feist + -y

feisty Related Forms

feisti·ly adverb feisti·ness noun

feisty Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • heroine: Aren't you in danger of making feisty young heroines a cliché ?
  • teenager: Sitcom about a feisty teenager who lives with her bachelor father.
  • daughter: In 2002 Lesley married Chris Smith who has two feisty teenage daughters.
  • lady: The Ambassador is a tall, feisty lady whom I would not wish to upset.
  • female: A feisty female curing through love her hammered hunk.
  • girl: Daisy Jones was one of those he kidnaped but she was a feisty girl and was not going to knuckle down easily.

Modifying Another Word

  • very: She had a few nasty wounds and was very feisty, even managing to bite a member of staff during her check in.
  • typically: He was hungry, impatient for service, troubled by a persistent cough, but otherwise in typically feisty, talkative mood.
  • pretty: In fact, Job got pretty feisty at times.
  • rather: The pair have to cope with everything from deadly chairs to a rather feisty neighbor.
  • quite: I think they are quite feisty and they tend to stick to their own ethnic group.
  • really: I like her attitude - she's really feisty, she digs in and doesn't give up.

Used with adjective complement

  • get: In fact, Job got pretty feisty at times.
  • feel: If you're feeling feisty, go for the very traditional frito Mallorquin - deep-fried offal and vegetables.
  • play: Twenty one-year-old Carley, who plays feisty Steph Dean in the popular soap has been singing and dancing from an early age.