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
The petulant, back-stabby intrigue between various parties here sometimes makes the hero rather unsympathetic, with photogenic singer-actor Pena Hernandez’s puppyish turn not conveying a great deal of complexity, let alone artistic o intellectual potential.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Tom Hulce portrayed the musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a petulant, bratty young genius with a distinctive laugh, insatiable appetite and endless talent.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Heroine Elizabeth is famous for her own refusals, but she’s actually first caught in the middle of two acts of petulant male defiance.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Julia Garner has the most subtly complex role as Justine, who trembles in one moment and snaps into petulant fit the next.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Tom Hulce portrayed the musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a petulant, bratty young genius with a distinctive laugh, insatiable appetite and endless talent.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Heroine Elizabeth is famous for her own refusals, but she’s actually first caught in the middle of two acts of petulant male defiance.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Julia Garner has the most subtly complex role as Justine, who trembles in one moment and snaps into petulant fit the next.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petulant
Adjective
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On the contrary, Juventus’ football soothed even the most irritable sections of the crowd.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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This can include feeling irritable, having a low frustration tolerance, feeling easily overstimulated, and having rapid shifts in emotion.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The fiery meeting at the South Shore Cultural Center began with local Ald.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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House Democrats clashed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday during a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill that devolved into shouting matches and throwing sharp elbows.—
Fritz Farrow,
ABC News,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petulant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petulant. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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