to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by some wound to pride.
She was greatly piqued when they refused her invitation.
to wound (the pride, vanity, etc.).
to excite (interest, curiosity, etc.).
Her curiosity was piqued by the gossip.
to arouse an emotion or provoke to action.
to pique someone to answer a challenge.
Archaic. to pride (oneself) (usually followed by on orupon ).
a feeling of irritation or resentment, as from a wound to pride or self-esteem.
to be in a pique.
Obsolete. a state of irritated feeling between persons.
a fabric of cotton, spun rayon, or silk, woven lengthwise with raised cords.
Ballet. a step in which the dancer steps onto the tip of the toe without bending the knee.
ornamentation by means of punched or stippled patterns, sometimes inlaid with metal, ivory, tortoise shell, etc.
(of glove seams and gloves) stitched through lapping edges.
decorated with inlay.
a piqué box.
to cause to feel resentment or irritation
to excite or arouse
to pride or congratulate (oneself)
What's the difference between pique, peak, and peek? The word pique is most commonly means to arouse or excite a particular feeling, as in Advertisements are designed to pique your interest. It can also be used as a verb meaning to irritate or as a noun referring to a feeling or irritation. The word peak refers to the top of a mountain or, more figuratively, to the highest point of something, as in the peak of my career. The word peek is most commonly used as a verb meaning to look at something quickly or sneakily and as a noun referring to such a look. The confusion surrounding the three words—all three of which can be used as both a verb and a noun—is mainly due to the fact that they are all pronounced the same. To remember what pique means (and how to spell it), remember that the things that pique your interest or curiosity are often unique.Since peek and peak are so close in spelling, one way to tell them apart is to remember that peek has two e’s, which kind of look like two little eyes peeking out between the p and the k. Another way to remember this is that peek has two e’s like look has two o’s. Here’s an example of pique, peak, and peek used correctly in a sentence. Example: The image of the strange mountain peak on the cover was meant to pique your curiosity, and it worked—you picked up the magazine to peek inside. Want to learn more? Read the breakdown of the difference between piqued, peaked, and peeked.
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French pique (noun), piquer (verb), from Vulgar Latin piccare (unrecorded) “to pick”; cf. pick 1, pike 2
First recorded in 1830–40; from French, past participle of piquer “to quilt, prick”; see pique 1
The verb pique means to make someone angry or annoyed. But when something piques your interest or curiosity, here the verb pique just means to arouse, stimulate, or excite. Both the noun and verb are pronounced "pēk" and were borrowed from a French word meaning "a prick or irritation," from Old French piquer, "to prick." So you can see how something that piques you could make you both excited and angry, perhaps even enough to storm away. That storming away, by the by, might be called a "fit of pique."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But two things can be true, and Bolton’s isn’t a simple case of presidential pique.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
And in the case of at least one clothing item — a pique sandwash dress — Sam’s Club members had even influenced the design.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
And his letter to Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre highlighted his obsessive pique over not winning this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
Some of her havoc is calculated, most of it is out of pique that others are living braver, more fulfilling lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
The next one—another roustabout—also leaves in a fit of pique.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
You can find the polo in a healthy array of fabrics beyond traditional piqué cotton, including soft jersey and fine-gauge wool and cashmere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2016
That afternoon, she was wearing a white piqué waistcoat with a tartan skirt.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 1, 2015
In 1953, Balenciaga introduced his first fisherman blouse in unfitted white cotton piqué.
From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2010
For whiteness studies to push past the amiability of white-on-white education, Ahmed argues, all involved must perform something of an ethical piqué manège.
From Slate
I scraped my fingers against the piqué of my dress.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
If you are not too much of a purist, you will occasionally find these piqués productive of a piquant effect, and then you will take good care not to touch them.
From A Treatise on Etching by Lalanne, Maxime
The above receipts are adapted for sweetbreads fricasseed, except that they must be cut in pieces for fricassees, and pieces of meat or poultry are added to them; sweetbreads when dressed whole look better piqués.
From The Jewish Manual Practical Information in Jewish and Modern Cookery with a Collection of Valuable Recipes & Hints Relating to the Toilette by Montefiore, Judith Cohen, Lady
Friday evening came, and with it a revelation in Houghton's window: the first piqués, the first strangely-woven and honey-combed toilet covers and bed quilts, the first frill-caps and aprons for maid-servants: a wonder in white.
From The Lost Girl by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
I am told you are doing very well with your piqués and dimities....
From More Tales by Polish Authors by Various
The first impression he makes is off the charts, which piques the curiosity of strangers wanting to learn more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
It is rare to find a book that you can open at random and almost always find something that piques your interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
Mass media spreads UFO content and piques worldwide interest in UFOs.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2023
Parker hopes a unified women’s pro league piques the interest of female players to continue toward more elite levels, including the coaching ranks.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
Watch yourself, be the first to ask pardon if you both err, and guard against the little piques, misunderstandings, and hasty words that often pave the way for bitter sorrow and regret.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Tolo’s introduction to Johnson came in 2016: She saw a quote of his featured in a newsletter about the evolution of humans and AI, and it piqued her interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
"I was seeing loads about it and it piqued my interest."
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The FBI agent from Connecticut piqued investigators’ interest, as did another man thought to have ties to the CIA, but that line of inquiry went nowhere.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
St. George, Utah, in the Mojave Desert has piqued travelers’ interests as Expedia recorded a 125% uptick in searches for the destination compared with last year.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
It had not been in my plan to listen to him, but my curiosity was piqued and I straightened up to give him my attention.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Luria thinks all that is piquing the curiosity of value investors, who buy stocks they believe are trading at a discount to their intrinsic worth.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 21, 2026
Pawpaws aren't the only promising crops piquing people's interest.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024
In previous work, Montell's team came across a mutation in this gene that impaired cell mobility, piquing their interest.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2024
“I think that’s probably just piquing a great deal of interest,” Spoelstra said.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
And for some reason this strikes a chord, piquing a memory.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
