as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems
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Recent Examples of petulant
But there has always been a playfulness to Dončić, an awareness of pleasure, even in his most petulant moments.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
One skeptical spectator who leaves in disgust suffers an accident while driving away, presumably caused by the petulant master’s psychic powers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Aug. 2025
Jimmy Butler did not have to consider the fallout of petulance because he already was known as petulant.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2025
Ramsey’s Ellie is more petulant, abrasive, and reckless compared to Ashley Johnson’s original performance of the character.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
One skeptical spectator who leaves in disgust suffers an accident while driving away, presumably caused by the petulant master’s psychic powers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Aug. 2025
Jimmy Butler did not have to consider the fallout of petulance because he already was known as petulant.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2025
Ramsey’s Ellie is more petulant, abrasive, and reckless compared to Ashley Johnson’s original performance of the character.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petulant
Adjective
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However, such symptoms are hard to attribute to vaccines because infants can be irritable or fussy regardless of vaccination.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
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When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fans have pointed to the former Big Machine label boss, who oversaw Swift’s early career and later clashed with her over ownership of her masters, as the likely target of this fiery track.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Investigators have since concluded that the item initially thought to be an explosive was debris from a fiery vehicle crash.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petulant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petulant. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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