as in anger
the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity
in a fit of pique she posted embarrassing photos of her ex-boyfriend on the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pique
Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
One reason for this is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s pique at the way the Biden administration has treated him.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025
The ever-changing face of modern gin has birthed many styles to pique the palate of the gin aficionado—or anyone partial to the odd G&T.
—Camille Berry, Vogue, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pique
Noun
But his pique has also come as the league’s media infrastructure, nationally and locally, has undergone a great reshuffling, and as MSG Networks, another Dolan-run company, has come under duress.
—Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
One reason for this is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s pique at the way the Biden administration has treated him.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022
Verb
The premiere of Alien: Earth is just weeks away, and FX/Hulu dropped one last trailer to pique our interest, along with a much more detailed synopsis.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025
The ever-changing face of modern gin has birthed many styles to pique the palate of the gin aficionado—or anyone partial to the odd G&T.
—Camille Berry, Vogue, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pique
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pique
Noun
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For those on the fringes of the fan protest, maintaining the anger to rally against those in charge probably becomes harder in those circumstances.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
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As the immediacy of the COVID crisis receded, public anger about the American response to it took deeper root—perhaps most prominently among some critics who are now Trump appointees.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Bankrate also recently released a survey showing that 38% are annoyed by pre-entered tip screens at coffee shops, food trucks, etc.—
Karlyn Bowman,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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At the array's center is a 118-dB speaker unit and a 9cc sound cavity to annoy fellow travelers with your excellent taste in music or be a useful audio beacon in emergencies.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As a futurist, my role was to provoke fresh insight and decisive action.—
Lisa Bodell,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Casey Durkin—Bravo While Jax, surely at the urging of producers, tried to provoke Kristen by questioning her fertility choices, nothing major happened in the premiere.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The boutique hotel group prides itself on authentic Greek hospitality paired with elevated fine dining.—
Emma Reynolds,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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But Ramer stressed that CPB leaders for decades have prided themselves on keeping politics outside of their decision-making.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Getty Images To date, the post has amassed more than 900 comments from TikTok viewers, many of them poking fun at the golden retriever mother's annoyed expression and shallow huffs.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
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The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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As Venus irritates Pluto, exploring an office entanglement might not be a good idea!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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In fact, vitamin C, chemical exfoliants (like glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acid), and retinol shouldn’t be used together all at once, since this combination can irritate and inflame the skin (including your existing hyperpigmentation).—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Are there opportunities for workshops for parents? Innovation Balance: Do policies encourage responsible experimentation or only focus on restrictions?—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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Those ordinary demands may encourage AI use even more.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The article includes a fancy-looking formula central to the algorithm, but the formula is nearly impossible to decipher since the authors didn’t bother to explain half the symbols in it.—
Noah Giansiracusa,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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If a body is here, whoever buried it didn’t bother digging deep, because there’s no fear of getting caught.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pique.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pique. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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