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petulant

[ pech-uh-luhnt ]
/ ˈpɛtʃ ə lənt /
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adjective
moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some trifling annoyance: a petulant toss of the head.
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Origin of petulant

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin petulant- (stem of petulāns ) “impudent,” akin to petere “to seek, head for”

OTHER WORDS FROM petulant

pet·u·lant·ly, adverbun·pet·u·lant, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use petulant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for petulant

petulant
/ (ˈpɛtjʊlənt) /

adjective
irritable, impatient, or sullen in a peevish or capricious way

Derived forms of petulant

petulance or petulancy, nounpetulantly, adverb

Word Origin for petulant

C16: via Old French from Latin petulāns bold, from petulāre (unattested) to attack playfully, from petere to assail
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
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