peeves 1 of 2

noun

plural of peeve
1
as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation my main peeve with the animal welfare organization is the endless stream of unsolicited trinkets in my mailbox

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2
as in frustrations
the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity he holds on to a peeve until the offending person apologizes

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peeves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of peeve
as in annoys
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts she is constantly peeved by his habit of humming show tunes while she is trying to focus on her work

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of peeves
Noun
One of my grandma’s biggest travel pet-peeves is her pants touching the bathroom floor on an airplane. — Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026 South Florida drivers have some peeves that were not on the national list. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025 Wittingham had a few peeves to get off his chest and did so at a symposium this past April at Stanford. — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peeves
  1. headaches
  2. frustrations
  3. annoys
  4. nuisances
  5. huffs
  6. bothers
  7. thorns
  8. resentments
Noun
  • Those with the condition, which was eventually named Minamata disease, had symptoms including tremors, headaches, seizures, vision and hearing problems, ataxia, dysarthria, memory loss, and cognitive decline.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Patients may experience a very high fever, headaches, neck pain, stupor, disorientation, muscle weakness and other serious symptoms.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of headaches
Noun
  • The past few weeks have seen the former host of To Catch a Predator repeatedly voice his frustrations with Oppenheim’s Primetime, A24’s dark thriller that will explore the origins of Hansen’s controversial Dateline segment.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The festering frustrations over Moreno’s meddling and middling tenure as owner were on full display throughout what is now the team’s 11th consecutive losing season.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrations
Verb
  • That very same thing is what annoys Liz about Charles 500 years later.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But Turner is a symbol for everything that annoys people about the Phillies.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of annoys
Noun
  • The petition sought to classify data centers as industrial nuisances, arguing that a ban would protect residents’ property and preserve city resources, such as water and electricity.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900.
    — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisances
Noun
  • David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.
    — Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
  • As much as Payton bristles about media storylines and huffs about tempo questions, the Broncos went 25 minutes without a first down against Las Vegas.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Nov. 2025
Definition of huffs
Verb
  • That sequencing bothers people who’ve spent careers being told that data systems need privacy protections designed in, not bolted on after a scandal.
    — Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about this scam is that criminals are going after people who may have the fewest options to protect themselves.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothers
Noun
  • Roses are considered non-toxic, though thorns can cause injuries and floral preservatives may still pose a risk.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Keep in mind that rose stems are often armed with sharp prickles, not thorns.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thorns
Noun
  • McBride, like all good satirists, cranks up the volume of those resentments and insecurities, in the process revealing a new way to see the world.
    — T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
  • When their ailing mother comes to live with them, old resentments resurface, forcing both women to confront grief, faith, ambition, and the fragile bonds that hold a family together.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of resentments

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peeves
peeving
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Cite this Entry

“Peeves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peeves. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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