peevish
[pee-vish]
- cross, querulous, or fretful, as from vexation or discontent: a peevish youngster.
- showing annoyance, irritation, or bad mood: a peevish reply; a peevish frown.
- perverse or obstinate.
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Origin of peevish
1350–1400; Middle English pevysh < ?
Synonyms
See more synonyms for peevish on Thesaurus.com1. petulant, irritable, snappish. See cross.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for peevish
Contemporary Examples
The young people in Girls are miserable, peevish, depressed, hate their bodies, themselves, their life, and each other.
Impatient and dismissive, punctuated by forced, faked little laughs and peevish demands for more airtime.
Historical Examples
She had no affection for this selfish invalid, this weak, peevish bully.
Life and Death of Harriett FreanMay Sinclair
Are you mistress of the petulant, the peevish, and the sullen tone?
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
There's nothing for you to be peevish about, the water's like glass.
The HarborErnest Poole
He may fail in the attempt, and be a peevish thing at play, but the attempt will show him at his best.
Mountain MeditationsL. Lind-af-Hageby
Perhaps it was the fault of the portrait, but he had a peevish frown.
Stories of a Western TownOctave Thanet
peevish
- fretful or irritablea peevish child
- obsolete perverse
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Word Origin
C14: of unknown origin
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
Word Origin and History for peevish
adj.
late 14c., peyvesshe "perverse, capricious, silly," of uncertain origin, possibly modeled on Latin perversus "reversed, perverse," past participle of pervertere "to turn about" (see pervert (v.)). Meaning "cross, fretful" first recorded 1520s. Related: Peevishly; peevishness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper