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
Hands down, the best feature of this jacket is the Life Pocket, which is designed to keep phones at a full battery throughout the day—a feature any skier will appreciate since an empty battery at the end of a ski day is a common pet peeve.
—
Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025
Her pet peeve in employees, meanwhile, is those who process, rather than think of ways to meaningfully contribute.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pet peeve
Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025
Her pet peeve in employees, meanwhile, is those who process, rather than think of ways to meaningfully contribute.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pet peeve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pet peeve
Noun
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Then last season’s nightmarish problems closing games carried over into 2026.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Anything else is going to be a problem.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some of Bondi's allies believe that the lack of prosecutions is attributable to Blanche, who has not pushed them too hard amid political concerns and worries about his future after his Justice Department career.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The electric carmaker last week reported its first decline in annual profit since 2022, but worries over rising gasoline prices has boosted its business.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pet peeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pet%20peeve. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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