piqued; piquing
1
a
: to excite or arouse especially by a provocation, challenge, or rebuff
sly remarks to pique their curiosity
b
: pride
he piques himself on his skill as a cook
: a transient feeling of wounded vanity : resentment
a fit of pique
variants
or pique
1
: a durable ribbed clothing fabric of cotton, rayon, or silk
2
: decoration of a tortoiseshell or ivory object with inlaid fragments of gold or silver
Examples of pique in a Sentence
Verb
The first chorus … stirred my heart, the second piqued my sense of camp and the rest of them had me checking my watch.
—
David Gates, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002
The posthumous revelation of Cheever's alcoholism, numerous infidelities and bisexuality may have piqued interest precisely because he presented himself so earnestly as the Man in the Brooks Brothers Suit.
—Mary Gordon, New York Times Book Review, 6 Oct. 1991
Some environmentalists worry that the natural behavior patterns of whales are being altered by tourist boats that pique the animals' curiosity.
—Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 21 Aug. 1989
In case your interest is being piqued just an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny … bit, the Davis Cup will confuse you totally by calling every competition between contending teams a "tie."
—Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 11 Apr. 1988
Brightly colored objects pique a baby's interest.
her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs
Noun (1)
And yet the democracy flourishing in Taiwan has been greeted in other parts of the Chinese-speaking world with a certain pique, and even with hostility.
—Ian Buruma, New Republic, 3 Apr. 2000
… when a beast that weighs 1,200 pounds goes crazy with some kind of stupid pique or jealousy in a room not much bigger than the handicapped stall in the Denver airport men's room, bad things will happen …
—Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994
He hit balls toward the umpire's chair and out of the stadium: he spat water toward the umpire on changeovers; and in still greater fits of pique, he broke three rackets.
—Jamie Diaz, Sports Illustrated, 2 Mar. 1987
After a moment of pique, the senator responded calmly to his accusers.
He slammed the door in a fit of pique.
David Gates, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002
The posthumous revelation of Cheever's alcoholism, numerous infidelities and bisexuality may have piqued interest precisely because he presented himself so earnestly as the Man in the Brooks Brothers Suit.
—Mary Gordon, New York Times Book Review, 6 Oct. 1991
Some environmentalists worry that the natural behavior patterns of whales are being altered by tourist boats that pique the animals' curiosity.
—Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 21 Aug. 1989
In case your interest is being piqued just an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny … bit, the Davis Cup will confuse you totally by calling every competition between contending teams a "tie."
—Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 11 Apr. 1988
Brightly colored objects pique a baby's interest.
her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs
Noun (1)
And yet the democracy flourishing in Taiwan has been greeted in other parts of the Chinese-speaking world with a certain pique, and even with hostility.
—Ian Buruma, New Republic, 3 Apr. 2000
… when a beast that weighs 1,200 pounds goes crazy with some kind of stupid pique or jealousy in a room not much bigger than the handicapped stall in the Denver airport men's room, bad things will happen …
—Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994
He hit balls toward the umpire's chair and out of the stadium: he spat water toward the umpire on changeovers; and in still greater fits of pique, he broke three rackets.
—Jamie Diaz, Sports Illustrated, 2 Mar. 1987
After a moment of pique, the senator responded calmly to his accusers.
He slammed the door in a fit of pique.
Recent Examples on the Web
Essence, 7 July 2025
Exploring Vision and Intelligence One of the tech talks at a recent Imagination in Action event also piqued my interest in this area.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
David E. Sanger, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pique
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Verb
Put the budget on the fridge and explain it, attaching a big goal that will pique their interest.
—Essence, 7 July 2025
Exploring Vision and Intelligence One of the tech talks at a recent Imagination in Action event also piqued my interest in this area.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Noun
If, in a usual presidency, tariffs are debated by layers of experts and aides, their potential impact weighed with care, in the Trump White House the determinations are part whim, part weave, part pique.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pique
Cite this Entry
“Pique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pique. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pique
1 of 3 noun1
: offense taken by one treated with disrespect or looked down upon
2
: a sudden feeling of resentment
pique
2 of 3 verb
piqued; piquing
1
: to arouse anger or resentment in : irritate
especially
: to offend by treating with disrespect
2
: excite sense 1, arouse
the package piqued my curiosity
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