as in problem
US
something that annoys or bothers a person very much
One of my biggest pet peeves is people driving too slowly on the highway.
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Recent Examples of pet peeve
This uncomfortable truth sharpened recently when a friend shared her pet peeve about cell phones on the table when dining out with companions.
—
Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025
Wherever Walnut is a beautiful rosy nude that doesn't pull orange on me (my pet peeve).
—Sarah Hoffmann, Allure, 3 Oct. 2025
Lily’s biggest pet peeve is bad drivers.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The wide-leg silhouette also still looks polished for work and won’t squeeze my legs (my fashion pet peeve).
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pet peeve
Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025
Wherever Walnut is a beautiful rosy nude that doesn't pull orange on me (my pet peeve).
—Sarah Hoffmann, Allure, 3 Oct. 2025
Lily’s biggest pet peeve is bad drivers.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The wide-leg silhouette also still looks polished for work and won’t squeeze my legs (my fashion pet peeve).
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pet peeve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pet peeve
Noun
-
Tel Aviv, Israel — Undermining this moment of relief for many repressed Iranians is that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a perilously simple fix to a very complex problem.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
That is if the letter writer doesn’t mind allowing them in her backyard for a few weeks while others find more reasonable ways to address this problem.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Let some quiet music gently soothe your senses while worries drift away.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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One activist said the group is aware of the concerns, as well as worries about noise complaints, but counter that with the changing tactics of ICE agents in their communities, residents are also looking for new, flexible, grassroots ways to alert people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pet peeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pet%20peeve. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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