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
That her response was aggressive, defensive and petulant is even better.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The kidnappers’ only demand is Dalton’s resignation, which seems like a no-brainer to Dalton’s petulant teenage daughter (Isobel Akuwudike’s Sylvie).
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The kidnappers’ only demand is Dalton’s resignation, which seems like a no-brainer to Dalton’s petulant teenage daughter (Isobel Akuwudike’s Sylvie).
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for petulant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petulant
Adjective
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Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Search for answers continues following UPS plane crash As the community in Louisville, Kentucky, mourns those killed in a fiery United Parcel Service cargo plane crash, authorities warned that answers for family members may still be a way off.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it, confronting family, identity, and a relationship that becomes life-or-death.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petulant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petulant. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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