peeved; peeving
1
: a feeling or mood of resentment
2
: a particular grievance or source of aggravation
Synonyms
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
Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2023
Though Ramsay was peeved, Barfield escaped elimination, as Ryan was sent home.
—oregonlive, 2 Aug. 2023
Astros players, though, were granted immunity during the probe — a decision that peeved players and fans alike when MLB’s report and discipline were issued in January 2020.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2023
There were a lot of Titanic fans peeved that Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t nominated.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023
In a press conference, after the Mobile County Health Department shut down bars and dine-in restaurant service, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson was peeved.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 30 Apr. 2020
Buttigieg, 38, declared victory early on Monday night based on his campaign's internal figures, peeving his rivals.
—Emily Larsen, Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2020
Trump appeared peeved by the schoolhouse vibe but also allergic to the dynamic of his advisers talking at him.
—Carol D. Leonnig, Philip Rucker, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Jan. 2020
The union is peeved by the populist governments in the region, and funds will be redirected away from the comparatively booming central Europeans.
—The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019
Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023
That lack of flexibility in cannabis-consumption devices has long been one of my pet pot peeves, and Ooka is far from the first company (and undoubtedly won’t be the last) to take this approach.
—Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2023
This foundation also passed our transfer test without issue, so your clothing will remain safe from stray makeup stains (a peeve of ours!).
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 13 June 2023
Manske: Your food pet-peeve?
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 12 June 2022
His pet spending peeve: dining out or ordering in.
—Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2020
Kyle says his biggest pet-peeve is someone who has a negative attitude.
—Milan Polk, Men's Health, 10 Feb. 2022
Another peeve of Siddiqui’s is the lack of character descriptions on Bollywood scripts.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Nov. 2022
My personal peeve is when the trees are tossed on the lawn and the decorations taken down on Dec. 26.
—cleveland, 21 Nov. 2022
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Verb
Advertisement How the Giants play baseball would peeve a purist.
—Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2023
Though Ramsay was peeved, Barfield escaped elimination, as Ryan was sent home.
—oregonlive, 2 Aug. 2023
Astros players, though, were granted immunity during the probe — a decision that peeved players and fans alike when MLB’s report and discipline were issued in January 2020.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2023
There were a lot of Titanic fans peeved that Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t nominated.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023
In a press conference, after the Mobile County Health Department shut down bars and dine-in restaurant service, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson was peeved.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 30 Apr. 2020
Buttigieg, 38, declared victory early on Monday night based on his campaign's internal figures, peeving his rivals.
—Emily Larsen, Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2020
Trump appeared peeved by the schoolhouse vibe but also allergic to the dynamic of his advisers talking at him.
—Carol D. Leonnig, Philip Rucker, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Jan. 2020
The union is peeved by the populist governments in the region, and funds will be redirected away from the comparatively booming central Europeans.
—The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019
Noun
Yes,Gran Turismo does stupid movie things like, my personal peeve, constantly have the drivers glare at each other through the side window.
—Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023
That lack of flexibility in cannabis-consumption devices has long been one of my pet pot peeves, and Ooka is far from the first company (and undoubtedly won’t be the last) to take this approach.
—Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2023
This foundation also passed our transfer test without issue, so your clothing will remain safe from stray makeup stains (a peeve of ours!).
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 13 June 2023
Manske: Your food pet-peeve?
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 12 June 2022
His pet spending peeve: dining out or ordering in.
—Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2020
Kyle says his biggest pet-peeve is someone who has a negative attitude.
—Milan Polk, Men's Health, 10 Feb. 2022
Another peeve of Siddiqui’s is the lack of character descriptions on Bollywood scripts.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Nov. 2022
My personal peeve is when the trees are tossed on the lawn and the decorations taken down on Dec. 26.
—cleveland, 21 Nov. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peeve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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Cite this Entry
“Peeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peeve. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on peeve
Nglish: Translation of peeve for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of peeve for Arabic Speakers
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