peeve

verb

\ ˈpēv

peeved; peeving

Definition of peeve

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make peevish or resentful : annoy

peeve

noun

Definition of peeve (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a feeling or mood of resentment

2 : a particular grievance or source of aggravation

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about peeve

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Choose the Right Synonym for peeve

Verb

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance. irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage. constant nagging that irritated me greatly exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience. his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging. your pompous attitude nettled several people provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action. remarks made solely to provoke her rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation. the new work schedules riled the employees peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation. a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

Examples of peeve in a Sentence

Verb

she is constantly peeved by his habit of humming show tunes while she is trying to focus on her work

Noun

One of her peeves is people who are always late. my main peeve with the animal welfare organization is the endless stream of unsolicited trinkets in my mailbox

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Many tweets from last night's episode show that a good amount of fans are peeved over Olivia's selection. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'America's Got Talent' Fans Are Peeved Olivia Munn Gave Angel City Chorale the Golden Buzzer," 25 July 2018 Gardner was peeved after grounding into a game-ending double play that prevented Aaron Judge from coming to the plate and that sealed a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. — New York Times, "Good News: Gardner Returns. Bad News: Yankees Still Fall to Rays.," 22 June 2018 Residents are peeved that unsightly bikes are clogging up sidewalks, parks, and driveways, making the streets less navigable for pedestrians and annoying local businesses. — Mark Harris, WIRED, "The Bike Share War Is Shaking Up Seattle Like Nowhere Else," 14 June 2018 For background, Lola was apparently peeved at her famous mom for posting a #ThrowbackThursday Halloween pic of her donning a bright yellow fisherman's costume from eight years ago. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Kelly Ripa Shares Rare Photo of Her Daughter Going to Prom on Instagram," 7 June 2018 Essentially, Trump was peeved the Times had refused to make the meeting off-the-record. — refinery29.com, "How Liz Garbus Became A Fly On The Wall During The New York Times' Most Stressful 100 Days," 25 May 2018 Gattis bore full responsibility, but offered little tangible explanation, for his bizarre role in a fourth-inning triple play that clearly peeved his manager following the Astros' 9-2 win on Thursday. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros' Evan Gattis discusses gaffe which led to triple play," 20 Apr. 2018 In all fairness, Backstreet Boy member Brian Littrel did admit to Refinery29 that he and the rest of his band mates were peeved when *NSYNC hit the scene and benefitted from their accomplishments. — Madison Medeiros, refinery29.com, "We Finally Know The Crux Of The *NSYNC x Backstreet Boys Feud," 27 Mar. 2018 More: Why are some people peeved about Casey Affleck's Oscar nomination? — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, "Casey Affleck withdraws from presenting best-actress award at Oscars," 25 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

My biggest peeve, however, is the ultra-bright and wholly unnecessary light on the handle. — Christopher Null, WIRED, "Which Toothbrush Subscription Service Is the Best?," 6 June 2019 ELLE Decor caught up with Marino to talk process, procrastination, and pet-peeves. — Charles Curkin, ELLE Decor, "Architect Peter Marino Believes in Retail But Not in Bad Design," 14 Nov. 2018 Now my peeve: Laguna puts a lot of emphasis on those tide pools but closes its eyes to the shops in town that sell shells and starfish. — latimes.com, "Protecting tide pools is critical but why not stop selling starfish and shells?," 3 July 2018 Peevers gotta peeve, and some publications coddle them. — John E. Mcintyre, baltimoresun.com, "Editors held hostage," 20 Apr. 2018 Laquidara’s voice pops up intermittently, to wax nostalgic or rant about his latest peeve. — James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "Charles Laquidara goes live with his life, mishegas and all," 8 Mar. 2018 And then, of course, my Cartier sunglasses. What's your fashion pet-peeve? — Nicole Saunders, Billboard, "The Midwestern Menswear Designer Looking to Break Through The Yeezy Wall: New Face, Fresh Style," 11 Sep. 2017 The only thing linking these targets, then, is not disloyalty to the president and his agenda, but to some set of peeves Bannon himself holds. — Jim Newell, Slate Magazine, "What Steve Bannon Is Up To," 11 Sep. 2017 Lengthy obituaries, using paper products at the reception, and themed coffins are just a few of the etiquette gurus’ biggest pet peeves. — Southern Living, "Funeral Etiquette Every Southerner Should Know," 1 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peeve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.