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
Juvenile bliss had long contoured this abrasive band, whose songs rattled like playgrounds, and whose shouts rang like the peals of petulant children.
—
Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 17 Mar. 2026
An emotionally unhinged, lewd, and petulant wreck.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 16 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Russell Crowe, 'Gladiator’ (2001) Crowe's Roman warrior Maximus, a general banished to slavery thanks to a petulant young emperor (Joaquin Phoenix) who rises back to glory, is a throwback to old-school Hollywood action heroes that still works.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 17 Mar. 2026
An emotionally unhinged, lewd, and petulant wreck.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 16 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Russell Crowe, 'Gladiator’ (2001) Crowe's Roman warrior Maximus, a general banished to slavery thanks to a petulant young emperor (Joaquin Phoenix) who rises back to glory, is a throwback to old-school Hollywood action heroes that still works.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petulant
Adjective
-
Perhaps through feeling more irritable, more anxious, or wanting to isolate.—
Joy Harden Bradford,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Had my symptoms maybe been put down to irritable bowel, for example, that could’ve been ongoing and ongoing and ongoing for a much longer period of time.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The fiery lawmaker, who leads the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters party, was charged alongside his bodyguards Anton Snyman, after the video of the incident went viral.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Mercury in your sign is lined up with Neptune, while your ruler fiery Mars gets a boost from Pluto.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petulant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petulant. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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