as in infuriated
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1
as in annoyed
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 provoked
to rouse to strong feeling or action
their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prided
to think highly of (oneself)
she piques herself on her considerable musical abilities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piqued
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Passersby in sight of the billboard that read wearable tech shareable insights did not seem piqued by the prospect of having their metrics constantly analyzed.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
That piqued the ire of Pritzker and created another stadium news cycle in Chicago.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Norton, his interest piqued, pays up to discover there is more like it at Ox Lake, 600 miles farther north in the open tundra known as the Barren Grounds.
—Malcolm Forbes, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2026
The Hunt’s cool retro feel initially piqued her interest.
—Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Griffin, who plans to attend a trade school to study welding or HVAC repair, said the hands-on experience piqued his interest.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2026
My curiosity about short sleepers was piqued after several of my friends (not for the first time) made New Year’s resolutions to sleep better.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
ValueAct has taken a stake in BlackRock, and the hedge fund’s rationale for investing has piqued our interest.
—Matthew J. Belvedere,morgan Chittum,jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
Oprah sported a workout jacket just like this one during a recent Australia trip, so of course my interest was piqued.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Passersby in sight of the billboard that read wearable tech shareable insights did not seem piqued by the prospect of having their metrics constantly analyzed.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
That piqued the ire of Pritzker and created another stadium news cycle in Chicago.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Norton, his interest piqued, pays up to discover there is more like it at Ox Lake, 600 miles farther north in the open tundra known as the Barren Grounds.
—Malcolm Forbes, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2026
The Hunt’s cool retro feel initially piqued her interest.
—Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Griffin, who plans to attend a trade school to study welding or HVAC repair, said the hands-on experience piqued his interest.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2026
My curiosity about short sleepers was piqued after several of my friends (not for the first time) made New Year’s resolutions to sleep better.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
ValueAct has taken a stake in BlackRock, and the hedge fund’s rationale for investing has piqued our interest.
—Matthew J. Belvedere,morgan Chittum,jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piqued
Verb
-
After it had been viewed by more than 12 million people, Tkachuk indicated the stunt annoyed him.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Calvin is annoyed that the Post describes Carolyn as Kelly’s protégé instead of his.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During his opening statement, Deputy Public Defender Denis Lainez conceded that his client committed the shootings, but said he was provoked by what the attorney described as a dedicated campaign by Bushey’s sister to oust him from the home.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Their experimental nature and immersion in lesbian love often provoked rejection depending on the taste or orientation of the viewer.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Known for years as Amtrak Joe, Biden as a senator prided himself on becoming arguably the nation’s biggest Amtrak fan, regularly taking the train home to Delaware rather than taking up residence in Washington.—
Meg Kinnard,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Massachusetts has long prided itself on leading the nation in education.—
Robert Casper,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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People have been outraged that your speech was edited, but a racial slur shouted by Tourette’s activist John Davidson was left in until Monday afternoon.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The outraged family of a transit cop stabbed to death in her Bronx home nearly four years ago by her estranged husband said Friday that his sentence of 24 years in prison is not enough.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Tough, undemanding, and rarely bothered by pests, a cheery patch of daffodils can last for generations.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2026
-
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those who noticed the quake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The introduction encouraged the writer to not hold back when answering questions, advice that Sarah, with her blunt, forthright style, didn’t really need.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hortiz congratulated Bozeman on his retirement.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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The men were personally congratulated with a direct call, while the women were referenced later, almost as a footnote, in a moment punctuated by laughter.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Fans have been angry that the production fired actor Melissa Barrera for speaking out in favor of Palestine.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Julia Ross, who loves Cunningham for her fourth grader, felt angry that Kennedy came to the school for what felt to her like a photo opportunity.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piqued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piqued. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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