as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
a panel of political pundits with a well-earned reputation for unfettered feistiness
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Recent Examples of feistiness
Covino’s facility with his ensemble is to draw out their inherent screen qualities, from Marvin’s ebullience, to Arjona’s energetic feistiness, to Johnson’s unflappable cool.
—
Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Drescher brought greater visibility and idiosyncratic feistiness to SAG-AFTRA, but can that momentum be sustained?
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Simeone will have to find ways to replace De Paul’s feistiness in midfield, Lino’s strong wing play, and Correa’s tenacity off the bench.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Drescher brought greater visibility and idiosyncratic feistiness to SAG-AFTRA, but can that momentum be sustained?
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Simeone will have to find ways to replace De Paul’s feistiness in midfield, Lino’s strong wing play, and Correa’s tenacity off the bench.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feistiness
Noun
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On Friday, the EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, urged European leaders to stand up to Russian aggression.—
Azhar Sukri,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
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The second half was a much different story as Punch maintained his confidence and aggression.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Way, meanwhile, enjoys watching Katie’s aggressiveness.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Errington has an endearing likability and a sense of mischief, but more aggressiveness and overconfidence would better suit the character.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some Iranians keep showing defiance anyway.—
Sanam Mahoozi Arlette Bashizi Saumya Khandelwal Stephen Marche,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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For the next 47 years the ban stood, though a few skaters still performed backflips in competition as a show of defiance.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Instead, an arcane academic skirmish has devolved into open hostilities.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Fox News Digital reviewed internal Signal chat messages from Seattle-area rapid response groups showing that the rejection of whistles triggered open hostility.—
Asra Q. Nomani,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Trump had won by fifty-three points there in 2016, and Greene’s paranoid pugnacity seemed like a good fit, if voters could stomach an outsider.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
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That does not mean his pugnacity has dimmed.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feistiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feistiness. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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