tetchy.

Quick to become annoyed over small things.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• tetchy reply
• become tetchy

On the page

By the fourth question, his answers had become distinctly tetchy.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Comparative more tetchy; superlative most tetchy when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: uncommon.