Synonyms of peckish

peckish

adjective

ˈpe-kish 

chiefly British

as in hungry

feeling a desire or need for food

I think I'll have a snack before we go, as I'm feeling a bit peckish

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hungry
• starving
• starved
• famished
• ravenous
• empty
• voracious
• wolfish
• malnourished
• undernourished
• underfed
• rapacious
• insatiable
• gluttonous
• greedy
• piggy
• hoggish
• piggish
• gormandizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satiated
• satisfied
• sated
• full
• overfed
• overstuffed
• surfeited
• stuffed
• engorged
• glutted
• overfull
• satiate
• gorged
• replete

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of peckish

Back upstairs, peckish guests can glimpse the bakers in The Pie Room, where various savory pies are baked fresh in the morning, and then served on site and for takeaway. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Not peckish, not in need of a little boost—hungry, immediately and completely, hunger as urgent as any alarm clock. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026

Protein, fats, and fiber are key to keeping you full, so a meal low on those vital nutrients could leave you feeling peckish before long. — Caroline Tien, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026

Their appetite for postseason basketball now satisfied, the Knicks faithful have grown peckish for more. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026

Pack toys and snacks While screen time may be a great distraction on its own, especially on longer flights, kids may get peckish and want other things to do. — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 17 Dec. 2025

On his delivery routes, Bridges drinks from a flask to keep hydrated, and catches and eats bugs when peckish. — Simon Parkin, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025

The teeny cut-outs look like the work of a very polite, hungry goldfish or maybe a peckish guinea pig. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025

The miniature sandwich felt more appropriate for a kids meal or someone feeling peckish. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2024