Hissy

//ˈhɪsi// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A tantrum, a fit. US

    "get into a hissy"

Adjective
  1. 1
    Accompanied with hisses.
  2. 2
    Making a hissing sound.

    "Each is very inexpensive ($60 per two-pack for the Midland, $100 a pair for the Audiovox), and feels it. Each is also tiny, no bigger than a bar of Ivory. Both are far hissier than their more expensive rivals, and don't have as much range (more on this in a moment)."

  3. 3
    Childish or petulant.

    "Viewers were aghast. . . . As co-host Regis Philbin flinched, Gifford launched into a teary, it's-not-my-fault, TV hissy fit: "You can say I'm ugly, you can say I'm not talented, but when you say I don't care about children, how dare you!""

Synonyms

All synonyms
babyishbad-temperedcantankerouschildishcholericconniption

Example

More examples

"After witnessing, in horrified fascination, a few of Tom's temper tantrums, Mary refused to play golf with him any more. Even though Tom was a former golf pro, he would sometimes have hissy fits, furiously shouting at his caddy and breaking his own golf clubs."

Etymology

From hiss + -y.

Related phrases

hissy fit

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.