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
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Grace Tucker News that some school districts across the country are canceling photo days in the wake of rumors that popular photo service Lifetouch is mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files piqued my interest last week.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
Whatever the case, Lazard’s message piqued the interest of Chiefs fans.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Grace Tucker News that some school districts across the country are canceling photo days in the wake of rumors that popular photo service Lifetouch is mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files piqued my interest last week.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piqued
Verb
-
In the early 1930s, Weill made quite a splash with his Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and Threepenny Opera, but their edgy social commentary and tart music annoyed the Nazis.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The people in line behind me were annoyed, checking their watches and peering ahead trying to figure out what was taking so long.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The lone spark from the hosts was Ross Johnston’s decisive fight win against Tyler Tucker, though Johnston was assessed a major penalty for boarding on the hit that provoked the conflict.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Twenty-nine were classified as provoked, including incidents involving fishing, handling sharks or attempting to touch them.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Democratic Party once prided itself on combining moral leadership with pragmatic strength.—
Ken Toltz,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Dubai has prided itself with its unshakable security and safety.—
Dana Khraiche,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dallas County Democrats are outraged after hundreds of people who waited hours to cast their ballots may have their votes rejected.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Floridians were outraged in 2024 when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection tried to force golf courses and hotels on state parks.—
Harper West,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The state party chairman responded that his letter was not aimed at any specific candidate, and that he was not bothered that most candidates did not heed his call to exit the race.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Neo is a product that was once unthinkable from a company that spent years panning the idea of netbooks and never bothered to make a budget laptop of its own.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Slusser alleged Kress is the one who encouraged her to live in that apartment.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
While Red States are generally supportive of immigration crackdowns, Blue States enacted sanctuary laws that encouraged undocumented migrants to concentrate in their cities despite being a clear violation of the Constitution.—
Doug McIntyre,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ellison congratulated the motion picture group led by Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Argyle forward Emma King (10), center, reacts after being named Most Valuable player as she is congratulated by teammates Wrigley Green (5), left, and Lexi Ehrhardt (20) following the Lady Eagles' 51-42 victory over Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill to claim the state championship.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Burkle alleges that Anderson stopped paying him in 2014 after becoming angry with him over an unspecified personal dispute, the complaint states.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Our tormentor is angry the state chose Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and has not met his demands to stop mail-in voting and release his supporter and fellow election denier Tina Peters from prison.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piqued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piqued. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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