testily

English

Etymology

From testy +‎ -ly.

Adverb

testily (comparative more testily, superlative most testily)

1. In a testy way; in the manner of someone who is testy.
   • 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XXXIII, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:

     […] thinking it urgent to say something, I asked him presently if he felt any cold draught from the door, which was behind him.
     "No, no!" he responded shortly and somewhat testily.

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     `We have been looking for a mystery, and we certainly seem to have found one.' `What do I make of it? Why, that your poor dear father was off his head, of course,' I answered, testily.

   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 43:

     "Sit ye down, I'm sayin'," said Uncle Jobson testily.

   • 1995, Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: a Trilogy in Five Parts, →ISBN, page 458:

     'Oh, for heaven's sake,' said Prak and died testily.

Anagrams

• Stitely, stylite, Titleys