as in picked at
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
kept pecking at their prodigal daughter to get off the couch and to start looking for a job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecked (at)
Verb
-
China urged the United States on Friday to address their dispute through dialogue.—
AFP,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025 -
Authorities have not yet revealed the full details of how Robinson was detained, but multiple reports suggested that his father urged him to surrender after recognizing his son in the grainy surveillance footage released by police.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Look out for a potential travel show at Dropout, for which his fans have begged for months.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
-
My legs were gooey and useless, my arms burned, my lungs begged for oxygen.—
Martin Suarez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Pecked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecked%20%28at%29. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share