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
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Recent Examples of peckish
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
Those feeling peckish while looking at the view can order small plates, salads, sandwiches, a sweet treat, or a cheese and honey plate stacked with Anatolian cheeses.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2024
After enough pressure, an unfortunately peckish wolf might get a mouthful of foul-tasting blood instead.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
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
Those feeling peckish while looking at the view can order small plates, salads, sandwiches, a sweet treat, or a cheese and honey plate stacked with Anatolian cheeses.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2024
After enough pressure, an unfortunately peckish wolf might get a mouthful of foul-tasting blood instead.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peckish
hungry
Adjective
-
Soaring ratings transform him into an unlikely prophet for a network hungry for spectacle, in a world where outrage sells and attention is the ultimate currency.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
That openness remained, even as Anthropic transitioned from a small research group to a massive company raising tens of billions of dollars from a wide range of profit-hungry investors.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peckish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peckish. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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