Meaning & use
feisty
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Full of spirit and quick to stand up for yourself, even when you are small, young or outnumbered.
Grammar: Comparable: feistier, feistiest. Usually describes a person or animal and is mostly admiring.
Patterns
- feisty little something
Our feisty grandmother still argues with the referee at every match.
The feisty young lawyer refused to be intimidated by the senior partners.
A feisty little terrier chased the much larger dog away.
adjectivecomparableinformal
Showing a lively and combative attitude in a discussion or contest.
Grammar: Used for contests, speeches or exchanges: a feisty debate.
Patterns
- a feisty exchange
The two candidates had a feisty exchange on live television.
It was a feisty match, with both teams fighting for every ball.
Word forms
| comparative | feistier |
|---|---|
| superlative | feistiest |
Common combinations
- feisty little
- The feisty little girl stood up to the bullies.
- feisty debate
- The council held a feisty debate over the new parking rules.
- feisty heroine
- The novel has a feisty heroine who refuses to follow convention.
- feisty attitude
- Her feisty attitude won her many fans.
- feisty spirit
- The team's feisty spirit surprised the favorites.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spirited
- Spirited is more formal and neutral, describing energy and courage without suggesting a readiness to quarrel.
- plucky
- Plucky stresses courage in the face of difficulty, often for the underdog, with less attitude than feisty.
- spunky
- Spunky is a close informal match, but it sounds slightly older and cheerful.
- belligerent
- Belligerent is negative and means eager to fight, whereas feisty is usually admiring.
Opposites
Word family
- feistiness noun
- the quality of being feisty
- feistily adverb
- in a feisty way
Commonly confused: feisty or fiesty?
feisty vs fiesty
Fiesty is a common misspelling; the correct form is feisty, with ei.
Practice
Which person is best described as feisty?
Choose one answer.
Feisty means spirited and ready to stand up for yourself, especially against stronger opponents. The others describe shyness, tiredness and politeness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “feisty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.