pet peeve
noun
a particular and often continual annoyance; personal bugbear.
pet peeves
-
pluralof pet peeve.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His biggest etiquette pet peeves include underdressing and overfamiliarity, especially in virtual settings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
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.
From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025
I went to Italy for the first time two years ago and learned that one of their pet peeves is how we say “pistachio.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2025
Originally the script was in English, but one of my pet peeves is when you're in a country where they don't speak English and the characters speak English with an accent.
From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2023
Instead of getting to know each other, becoming familiar with likes and dislikes, ticklish spots, pet peeves, Desdemona and Lefty tried to defamiliarize themselves with each other.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
