pet peeve

American  

[pet peev] / ˈpɛt ˈpiv /

noun

pet peeves plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pet peeves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pet peeve

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

Example Sentences

“It is my biggest pet peeve that restaurants in the U.S. act like Diet Coke is the only option,” Ike Uche, a college administrator in New York, wrote in an email.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

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 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

This is how I find out that Miss McDaniels has yet another pet peeve besides lateness, wasting valuable time, and utter nonsense.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina