as in annoying
causing annoyance
the pesky problem of what to do with all the leftovers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 pesky
In just seconds, those pesky signs of aging were nearly invisible, and my makeup slid over them instead of sinking in.
—
Cathy Nelson, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026
This will get rid of any loose hair, flaky skin, or pesky dandruff.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
But between a glaring lack of frontcourt size and pesky injury issues, this increasingly feels like a team with a Sweet 16 ceiling.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Mulch retains soil moisture and also helps curb pesky weed growth.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesky
Cathy Nelson, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026
This will get rid of any loose hair, flaky skin, or pesky dandruff.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
But between a glaring lack of frontcourt size and pesky injury issues, this increasingly feels like a team with a Sweet 16 ceiling.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Mulch retains soil moisture and also helps curb pesky weed growth.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesky
Adjective
-
Noise limits In the 2010s, a common concern about wind turbines was that the swishing noise was annoying or even dangerous to residents’ health.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Adhesive Residue No one likes to battle the annoying sticky residue left behind from price tags or brand labels, but those are no match for your steam cleaner.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ignoring Temperature and Environment Every oven behaves differently, which can make baking frustrating at first.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
-
More and more hard-to-trace checks are laundered among political committees, with their murky-sounding names and Tallahassee addresses, frustrating attempts by voters or the media to figure out exactly who’s giving to whom.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rubbing alcohol isn’t corrosive to metals, doesn’t stain clothes, and doesn’t cause the same irritating fumes as working with bleach does.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The hypoallergenic face serum is free from potentially irritating ingredients, such as parabens and synthetic fragrances, too.—
Lauren Taylor,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pesky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesky. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
