peevish

adjective

pee·​vish ˈpē-vish How to pronounce peevish (audio)
1
: querulous in temperament or mood : fretful
2
: perversely (see perverse sense 2b) obstinate
a peevish child
3
: marked by ill temper
has a peevish, even spiteful, streakElizabeth Drew
peevishly adverb
peevishness noun

Examples of peevish in a Sentence

peevish patients in the doctor's waiting room I would rather figure things out on my own than ask that peevish librarian for help.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
For all that, his Arthur remains a lowly outsider, with a downcast gaze, a peevish temper, and a deep well of melancholy that never feels one-note. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024 The preternaturally peevish Pentecostal preacher is back and absent as ever. Kristen Baldwin and Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2023 What if this progeny pre-programmed for money-making zeal is also more likely to end up wandering around a mansion, micro-dosing LSD and sending peevish tweets? Frederick Kaufman, Fortune, 30 July 2023 But dozens of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle decried the agreement concocted over the weekend by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the clouds of complaints imbuing the Capitol with a decidedly peevish atmosphere on Tuesday. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 31 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for peevish 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pevish spiteful

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of peevish was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near peevish

Cite this Entry

“Peevish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peevish. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

peevish

adjective
pee·​vish ˈpē-vish How to pronounce peevish (audio)
peevishly adverb
peevishness noun

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