pet peeve

American  

[pet peev] / ˈpɛt ˈpiv /

noun

1. a particular and often continual annoyance; personal bugbear.

   This train service is one of my pet peeves.

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pet peeve Idioms  

1. A particular or recurring source of irritation, as in My pet peeve is that neighbor's cat running through my herb garden. [Early 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of pet peeve

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

Example Sentences

He says he believes the system has improved access to university for disadvantaged students, and that it's a "pet peeve" to hear discussions of it being a "crippling loan", or like a mortgage.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

It’s a pet peeve of hers when someone is multitasking when she’s trying to talk to them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

“It’s a pet peeve with many people,” he told me.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2025

We know every secret, private joke and pet peeve about each other , based on memories woven so deeply into the L.A. backdrop, they can’t be undone.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2024

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.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer