petulance

noun

pet·​u·​lance ˈpe-chə-lən(t)s How to pronounce petulance (audio)
: the quality or state of being petulant : peevishness

Examples of petulance in a Sentence

I do not appreciate your petulance and eagerness to argue.
Recent Examples on the Web Niamh’s confidence in her power is a relief from the untrained paranormal heroine in need of guidance, and Kit makes petulance unusually charming. Olivia Waite, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2024 The wholesale abandonment of X by major advertisers such as the Walt Disney Co. provoked Musk to a profane outburst of public petulance, underscoring his new image as an 8-year-old mind in a rich man’s body. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Beyond the Ohio Republican, the failure of the House GOP to settle on a leader shows what happens when a party surrenders an ideological rudder for one driven by personalities, petty grievances, and petulance. Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 Oct. 2023 As for petulance, rape, murder, and kidnapping will do that. Joe Snell, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023 Nick Saban showed petulance this week and indecision during his weekly press conference earlier this week, Paul Finebaum said. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 30 Aug. 2023 Also last week, Finebaum , an SEC Network analyst, said Saban displayed petulance and indecision in addition to bullying the local media by refusing to release a depth chart. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 3 Sep. 2023 Ukraine One gasps at the petulance on display here, as at otherwise staunch British Defense Minister Ben Wallace’s snap about Ukraine treating its Western suppliers as a kind of Amazon of weaponry. Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Aug. 2023 Huffman also attributed high-profile blackouts to the petulance of an aggrieved minority, and accused some of its most vocal third-party developers of being freeloaders. Brian Fung, CNN, 16 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petulance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petulance was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near petulance

Cite this Entry

“Petulance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petulance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

petulance

noun
pet·​u·​lance ˈpech-ə-lən(t)s How to pronounce petulance (audio)
: the quality or state of being petulant

More from Merriam-Webster on petulance

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