petulant

adjective pet·u·lant \ ˈpe-chə-lənt \

Definition of petulant

1 :insolent or rude in speech or behavior

2 :characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor :peevish

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petulantly

adverb

See petulant defined for English-language learners

See petulant defined for kids

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Examples of petulant in a Sentence

Oxford's denial of her [Margaret Thatcher's] honorary degree in 1984 was no petulant fluke but an accurate measure of her unpopularity with the whole profession. —Harold Perkin, Times Literary Supplement, 26 June 1992
In the hot, petulant little cockpit she was triumphant—drunk with anger, defiance, and the beginnings of relief. —Sebastian Faulks, Independent on Sunday (London), 25 Nov. 1990
Sometimes, under … rapid-fire questioning, he became petulant and quibbled over words in a way that suggested a close reading of the law. —Frances FitzGerald, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 1989
Mouth petulant but its hardness in it, behind it. Looking at that mouth you felt her teeth in you … —Jayne Anne Phillips, Black Tickets, (1975) 1979
Her tone was petulant and angry.
a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems

Recent Examples of petulant from the Web

Hook me up now, Doc, and infuse me with that happy buzz, before El Presidente Donald Trump goes on another one of his petulant rants.

— george diaz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Donald Trump wins by infesting cyberspace with toxic political madness," 25 Aug. 2017
Most of the criticism leveled at Finn Jones’s oft-petulant boy billionaire is incorporated into the show via Luke, who treats Danny to dressing downs and occasional physical face-offs that for viewers are likely cathartic.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Defenders: Marvel's TV Universe Clicks Into Place," 18 Aug. 2017
But that defiant pose turned into a petulant pout two minutes later when Ronaldo was booked again for diving in the area following contact with Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti.

— joseph wilson, The Seattle Times, "Ronaldo sent off after scoring in Madrid’s 3-1 win at Barca," 13 Aug. 2017
Despite remarking on several occasions that the Senate needed more adults in the room, on Twitter, Diaz de la Portilla acted like a petulant child.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Setting up September elections," 26 July 2017
Williams responds with a petulant, sarcastic laugh.

— andy benoit, SI.com, "24 Hours With ... Patrick Peterson, the NFL’s Only Shutdown Cornerback. (Just Ask Him)," 19 July 2017
The production is also about the more lighthearted aspects of parenting petulant, impetuous children (which is to say, most children, to some extent), and about the way the bonds of family are somehow both innately enduring and tenuous.

— richard lawson, HWD, "As Hamlet, Oscar Isaac Proves He’s the Best Actor of His Generation," 14 July 2017
Petulant outbursts are not always detrimental to tennis players' legacies.

— joseph hincks, Time, "This Year's Wimbledon Has Served Up Some of the Largest Fines in the Tournament's History," 7 July 2017
Gru and Dru bicker but find common cause when Bratt — a petulant, mulleted former 1980s TV child star — leads a giant robot of himself and an army of malevolent flying action figures on an invasion of Hollywood.

— andy webster, New York Times, "Review: ‘Despicable Me 3’ Suggests a Franchise Running on Fumes," 29 June 2017

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

petulant Has Latin Roots

Petulant is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb petere, which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." "Petere" is a relative of the Latin adjective petulans ("impudent"), from which "petulant" was derived. Some other words with connections to "petere" are "compete" and "appetite." "Competere," the Late Latin precursor to "compete," is a combination of the prefix com- and the verb "petere." The joining of ad- and petere led to "appetere" ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin appetitus, the source of our "appetite." Additional descendants of "petere" are "petition," "perpetual," and "impetus."