peeve

[peev]

verb (used with object)

peeved, peeving 

1. to render peevish; annoy.

noun

1. a source of annoyance or irritation.

   Tardiness is one of my greatest peeves.

   Synonyms: grievance, affliction, vexation

2. an annoyed or irritated mood.

   to be in a peeve.

peeve

/ piːv /

verb

1. (tr) to irritate; vex; annoy

noun

1. something that irritates; vexation

   it was a pet peeve of his

Other Word Forms

• peeved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of peeve¹

1905–10, back formation from peevish

Word History and Origins

Origin of peeve¹

C20: back formation from _peevish

Example Sentences

When I asked El-Erian about the Fed, I was gratified to hear him address one of my pet peeves: the dim-bulb types who proudly declare themselves to be data-dependent, full stop.

Read more on Barron's

When I asked El-Erian about the Fed, I was gratified to hear him address one of my pet peeves: the dim-bulb types who proudly declare themselves to be data-dependent, full stop.

Read more on Barron's

I know that unnecessarily tall things are a pet peeve of Autumn’s, but I don’t understand why she seems so ready to go head-to-head with something this huge.

Read more on Literature

I don’t know if that’s a pet peeve, it’s a genuine fear.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“I didn’t come here to play games, and that’s kind of what this is feeling like to me,” says one peeved competitor on this romance game show, “And it’s a little disappointing.”

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• disturb 
• exasperate 
• gall 
• irk 
• irritate 
• rile 
• vex