petulantly

American  

[pech-uh-luhnt-lee] / ˈpɛtʃ ə lənt li /

adverb

1. in a way that shows impatient irritation, especially over some minor annoyance.

   When the vote didn't go his way at the meeting, he knocked over his chair, petulantly kicked it out of his path, and stormed out of the room.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpetulantly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of petulantly

petulant ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you do something petulantly, you are being irritable or peevish. If you petulantly roll your eyes at your boss, you might risk losing that promotion. Petulantly is the adverb formation of petulant, which comes from the Latin word petulantem, meaning “wanton,” “forward,” or “insolent.” The modern use of petulantly has morphed to mean that one is moody or childish, and no longer means that one is wanton or forward. Acting petulantly won’t get you very far. People don’t usually respond well to children acting bratty, and it’s even worse when adults do it.

Example Sentences

Petulantly I threw away my cigar and went up to my room.

From The Romance of an Old Fool by Field, Roswell Martin

Petulantly he shook off her hand; slowly she drew away from him, beginning—yet fearing—to understand.

From Where the Souls of Men are Calling by Neill, John R. (John Rea)

Petulantly she drew her hand away from mine.

From The Lost Continent by Hyne, Charles John Cutcliffe Wright

"Two described species: B. undata and B. arenosa, to which was added B. hebraica and B. ponderosa—" Petulantly he slammed the whole handful of papers to the floor.

From Little Eve Edgarton by Crosby, Raymond Moreau

Petulantly, Tensor disintegrated the noisy one and also some ugly cables that led from the panel to the wall.

From Fair and Warmer by Wald, E. G. von