peckish

[ pek-ish ]
See synonyms for peckish on Thesaurus.com
adjectiveChiefly British Informal.
  1. somewhat hungry: By noon we were feeling a bit peckish.

  2. rather irritable: He's always a bit peckish after his nap.

Origin of peckish

1
First recorded in 1775–85; peck1 + -ish1

Words Nearby peckish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use peckish in a sentence

  • Not that he ever did feel a bit peckish after the hearty snack, for his sandwich was pecked by the four young Seasons at home.

    The Mynns' Mystery | George Manville Fenn
  • Feelin' a little peckish, I went into a eatin' house to-day and encountered a young man with long black hair and slender frame.

    The Complete Works of Artemus Ward | Charles Farrar Browne (AKA Artemus Ward)
  • Peck is also an old word for provender, and we still speak of feeling peckish.

    Archaic England | Harold Bayley
  • We're not likely to be in time for table d'hte—not that I'm peckish.

  • It's making me deuced peckish, I know that—how about lunch, eh!

British Dictionary definitions for peckish

peckish

/ (ˈpɛkɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. informal, mainly British feeling slightly hungry; having an appetite

Origin of peckish

1
C18: from peck ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012