pique

¹pique

noun \ˈpēk\

Definition of PIQUE

: a transient feeling of wounded vanity : resentment <a fit of pique>

Examples of PIQUE

1. After a moment of pique, the senator responded calmly to his accusers.
2. He slammed the door in a fit of pique.
3. And yet the democracy flourishing in Taiwan has been greeted in other parts of the Chinese-speaking world with a certain pique, and even with hostility. —Ian Buruma, New Republic, 3 Apr. 2000
4. … when a beast that weighs 1,200 pounds goes crazy with some kind of stupid pique or jealousy in a room not much bigger than the handicapped stall in the Denver airport men's room, bad things will happen … —Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994
5. He hit balls toward the umpire's chair and out of the stadium: he spat water toward the umpire on changeovers; and in still greater fits of pique, he broke three rackets. —Jamie Diaz, Sports Illustrated, 2 Mar. 1987

Origin of PIQUE

(see ²pique)

First Known Use: 1592

Related to PIQUE

Synonyms

dudgeon, huff, miff, offense (or offence), peeve, resentment, umbrage

Related Words

aggravation, anger, annoyance, bother, botheration, discomfort, exasperation, frustration, grief, irritation, vexation; agitation, angriness, displeasure, distress, disturbance, indignation, irateness, ire, outrage, perturbation, upset; dander, temper; fit, pet, pouts, sulk(s), tantrum, tizzy; affront, barb, brickbat, dig, indignity, insult, put-down, slap, slight, slur

Near Antonyms

satisfaction; appeasement, mollification, pacification; contentment, delight, gratification, happiness, pleasure

See Synonym Discussion at offense

Rhymes with PIQUE

beak, bleak, cheek, chic, cleek, clique, creak, creek, Creek, eke, flic, freak, geek, gleek, Greek, keek, leak, leek, meek, peak, peek, peke, pic, reek, screak, seek, sheikh, shriek, sic, Sikh, sleek, sneak, speak, squeak, steek, streak, streek, teak, tweak, weak, week

²pique

transitive verb \ˈpēk\

piquedpiqu·ing

Definition of PIQUE

1

: to arouse anger or resentment in : irritate <what piques linguistic conservatives — T. H. Middleton>

2

a : to excite or arouse especially by a provocation, challenge, or rebuff <sly remarks to pique their curiosity>

b : pride <he piques himself on his skill as a cook>

Examples of PIQUE

1. Brightly colored objects pique a baby's interest.
2. <her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs>
3. The first chorus … stirred my heart, the second piqued my sense of camp and the rest of them had me checking my watch. —David Gates, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002
4. The posthumous revelation of Cheever's alcoholism, numerous infidelities and bisexuality may have piqued interest precisely because he presented himself so earnestly as the Man in the Brooks Brothers Suit. —Mary Gordon, New York Times Book Review, 6 Oct. 1991
5. Some environments worry that the natural behavior patterns of whales are being altered by tourist boats that pique the animals' curiosity. —Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 21 Aug. 1989
6. In case your interest is being piqued just an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny … bit, the Davis Cup will confuse you totally by calling every competition between contending teams a “tie.” —Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 11 Apr. 1988

Origin of PIQUE

French piquer, literally, to prick — more at pike

First Known Use: 1669

Related to PIQUE

Synonyms

aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, irritate, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex

Related Words

hassle, heckle; nag; inflame (also enflame), provoke, rouse; badger, bait, bullyrag (also ballyrag), devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease; anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil; agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry; affront, insult, miff, offend, outrage

Near Antonyms

appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate; delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy; assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

See Synonym Discussion at provoke

pi·qué

noun \pi-ˈkā, ˈpē-ˌ\

Definition of PIQUÉ

1

: a durable ribbed clothing fabric of cotton, rayon, or silk

2

: decoration of a tortoiseshell or ivory object with inlaid fragments of gold or silver

Variants of PIQUÉ

pi·qué or pi·que \pi-ˈkā, ˈpē-ˌ\

Origin of PIQUÉ

French piqué, from past participle of piquer to prick, quilt

First Known Use: 1852

Rhymes with PIQUÉ

abbé, affray, agley, airplay, airway, aisleway, all-day, allay, allée, Angers, Anhui, archway, array, ashtray, assay, astray, Augier, away, aweigh, backstay, ballet, base pay, bat ray, beignet, belay, beltway, benday, beret, betray, bewray, bidet, bikeway, birthday, Biscay, Bizet, blasé, bobstay, Bombay, Bossuet, bouchée, bouclé, boule, bouquet, Bourget, bourrée, breezeway, Bouvet, Broadway, buffet, byplay, byway, cachet, café, cahier, Cambay, Cathay, causeway, chaîné, chalet, chambray, chassé, child's play, ciré, cliché, congé, convey, co-pay, Corday, corvée, coudé, coupé, crawlway, crochet, croquet, crossway, cube, curé, cy pres, DA, daresay, D-day, death ray, decay, deejay, defray, delay, dengue, dismay, display, distrait, DJ, donnée, doomsday, doorway, dossier, downplay, dragée, driveway, duvet, Earl Grey, embay, épée, essay, estray, Ewe, fair play, fairway, Feuillet, field day, filé, filet, fillet, fireclay, fishway, flambé, flight pay, floodway, flyway, folkway, footway, foray, force play, forebay, foreplay, forestay, formée, forte, fouetté, foul play, Fouquet, four-way, fourchée, foyer, franglais, frappé, freeway, Friday, frieze, fumet, gainsay, Galway, gamay, gangway, gateway, gelée, give way, glacé, godet, gourmet, Green Bay, greenway, guideway, gunplay, hair spray, halfway, hallway, Hannay, harm's way, hatchway, headway, hearsay, Hebei, Hefei, heyday, highway, hold sway, homestay, hooray, horseplay, Hubei, in play, in re, inlay, inveigh, Islay, issei, jackstay, James Bay, jennet, jeté, Jetway, Jolliet, keyway, Kobe, koine, kouprey, lamé, laneway, lay day, leeway, lifeway, Lomé, Lord's day, lwei, lycée, M-day, maguey, mainstay, make hay, Malay, malgré, man-day, Mande, Manet, manqué, margay, massé, match play, maté, May Day, Medway, melee, meze, midday, midway, Midway, Millay, Millet, mislay, misplay, moiré, Monday, Monet, Mornay, name day, Niamey, nisei, noonday, Norway, nosegay, obey, OK, olé, ombré, one-way, osprey, Otway, outlay, outré, outstay, outweigh, oyez, PA, parfait, parkway, parlay, parquet, partway, passé, pâté, pathway, pavé, payday, pearl gray, per se, pince-nez, pipe clay, piquet, pith ray, PK, plié, plissé, pommée, Pompeii, portray, prepay, projet, pulque, puree, purvey, quale, Quesnay, raceway, Rahway, railway, rappee, red bay, relay, repay, replay, risqué, roadway, Roget, role-play, ropeway, rosé, rosebay, Roubaix, roué, routeway, runway, sachet, saint's day, Salé, sansei, sashay, sauté, screenplay, scrub jay, seaway, Shark Bay, shar-pei, shipway, short-day, sick bay, sick day, sick pay, sideway, skyway, slideway, slipway, sluiceway, soigné, soiree, someday, someway, soothsay, soufflé, speedway, spillway, squeeze play, stairway, sternway, stingray, straightway, strathspey, stroke play, subway, Sunday, survey, sweet bay, swordplay, tea tray, tempeh, thoughtway, thruway, Thursday, tideway, today, Tokay, tollway, Torbay, touché, toupee, trackway, tramway, Tuesday, Twelfth Day, two-way, unlay, unsay, valet, V-day, veejay, vide, visé, Vouvray, walkway, waylay, Wednesday, weekday, white way, windway, wood ray, wordplay, workday