Snitty

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Easily annoyed or irritable, displaying a petulant or bad-tempered attitude
2. Characterized by a sulky or irritable demeanor, exhibiting a tendency to be easily offended or annoyed
3. Exhibiting a querulous nature, often grumpy and prone to whining or complaining about minor issues

Etymology: Snitty is a plain formation: the adjective is built from the noun "snit" with the suffix "-y", which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "characterised by" or "having the quality of" the noun. So a snitty person is one who is full of snit, a fit of irritation or sulkiness. The noun "snit" itself is the more interesting part of the story. It goes back through Old English to a Germanic root, and its ultimate ancestry reaches into Proto-Indo-European, where the reconstructed root is linked to the idea of cutting. That sense of a sharp, cutting temper is a fair match for what the word describes today, though the connection is only reconstructed, not documented in English usage.

Synonyms: snappish, irritable, petulant

Antonyms: good-natured, cheerful, pleasant