as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
her mother announced that she still looked peaky, and felt her forehead for a fever
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Recent Examples of peaky
The curveball in all this is Verstappen, whose Red Bull future has become a significant talking point once again amid the team’s difficulties with a peaky car that will surely test his championship defense.
—
Luke Smith, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
In reality, though, because the TCL’s tone mapping is not as effective as that of the Samsung TV, the TCL’s brightness can cause clipping and leave the image looking ‘peaky’ and unbalanced.
—John Archer, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Local surf guides will take wave riders to fun, peaky beach breaks or barreling reefs.
—Noah Lederman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
Photo : The Hover Bureau The one-bedroom, two-bath guesthouse has a living room clad in peaky cypress paneling.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025
Local surf guides will take wave riders to fun, peaky beach breaks or barreling reefs.
—Noah Lederman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
The powerband was peaky, with the turbos coming alive above 2500 rpm, accompanied by a distinct whistle.
—Brett Berk, Car and Driver, 4 Sep. 2023
The buzzy and peaky four-cylinder isn't a good match for the eight-speed automatic transmission, which is reluctant to downshift.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 4 Aug. 2023
Moreover, although the power peaks are identical in both engines, the SE motor's much lower torque peak represents a considerable flattening of the rotary's traditionally peaky torque curve.
—Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 1 Feb. 2023
Luke Smith, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
In reality, though, because the TCL’s tone mapping is not as effective as that of the Samsung TV, the TCL’s brightness can cause clipping and leave the image looking ‘peaky’ and unbalanced.
—John Archer, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Local surf guides will take wave riders to fun, peaky beach breaks or barreling reefs.
—Noah Lederman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
Photo : The Hover Bureau The one-bedroom, two-bath guesthouse has a living room clad in peaky cypress paneling.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025
Local surf guides will take wave riders to fun, peaky beach breaks or barreling reefs.
—Noah Lederman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
The powerband was peaky, with the turbos coming alive above 2500 rpm, accompanied by a distinct whistle.
—Brett Berk, Car and Driver, 4 Sep. 2023
The buzzy and peaky four-cylinder isn't a good match for the eight-speed automatic transmission, which is reluctant to downshift.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 4 Aug. 2023
Moreover, although the power peaks are identical in both engines, the SE motor's much lower torque peak represents a considerable flattening of the rotary's traditionally peaky torque curve.
—Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 1 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peaky
Adjective
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King Charles and Kate Middleton were both diagnosed with cancer, with the King reportedly still very sick.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
20 June 2025
-
If Rob and Ryan are struck by lightning, get bored, fall out, get sick or lose a court case, will Wrexham look so transcendent?—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
-
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.—
Maggie Astor,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.—
Adam Taylor,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2024
Adjective
-
That is not inherently bad and tactical flexibility, particularly during a major tournament, is usually a boon.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
After several months of strong economic news but incredibly weak consumer sentiment, America is starting to see those trends reverse: The vibes are on the rebound, but evidence is mounting that the economy is getting worse.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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How to Stay Protected Against COVID Vaccination is still the best way to protect yourself against getting seriously ill from COVID.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
25 June 2025
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The team collected fecal samples from 196 critically ill patients admitted to intensive care for non-COVID respiratory failure or shock.—
Rosie McCall,
Discover Magazine,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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The 30-year-old is coming off a down year in 2024, totaling 496 yards and two touchdowns in 10 appearances.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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Through Friday, the stock had dropped 14% in 2025, on pace for its fifth down year in a row.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Peaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peaky. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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