pique
1to 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 or upon).
to arouse pique in someone: an action that piqued when it was meant to soothe.
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.
Origin of pique
1Other words for pique
Opposites for pique
Words that may be confused with pique
Words Nearby pique
Other definitions for pique (2 of 3)
Other definitions for piqué (3 of 3)
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.
Origin of piqué
3- Also pi·que [pi-key, pee-;] /pɪˈkeɪ, pi-;/ .
Words that may be confused with piqué
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pique in a sentence
Their hope is that the resulting products will not only pique consumers’ interest, but keep them healthy and keep them coming back.
From Pitless Cherries to Softer Kale, This Startup Is Using CRISPR to Make Better Produce | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | October 26, 2022 | Singularity HubTheir pique could only have been exacerbated by the fact that the law required public disclosure.
The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax | by Jesse Eisinger, Jeff Ernsthausen and Paul Kiel | June 8, 2021 | ProPublicaHe had wanted the romance of being what he once was, something I was denying him in my pique.
Catching Shade From Your (and the Beastie Boys’) Favorite TV Cop | Eugene Robinson | October 14, 2020 | OzyHow much might such spirited competitions pique the interest of stateside TV audiences?
He is a mild-mannered and generous guy, not the kind of person prone to fits of pique or rage.
We Lost Soldiers in the Hunt for Bergdahl, a Guy Who Walked Off in the Dead of Night | Nathan Bradley Bethea | June 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
This loud display of pique lasted about a week before Fallin quietly reversed herself.
But like the committee hearing, it was just a nasty show of pique.
How the Chuck Hagel Fight Changed the American Jewish Landscape in Washington | J. J. Goldberg | August 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTExcept for a bit of petulance directed toward Stephanopoulos and a bit of pique directed at Huntsman, Romney maintained his cool.
Paul Begala: Mitt Romney’s Competition Folds in New Hampshire Debate | Paul Begala | January 8, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Daily News, in referring to this, suggests that "peacock temper" was a misprint for "pique, or temper."
I fear my manner showed my pique a trifle, for I did not see her anywhere about when I left after breakfast.
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard EatonEllen Morris accepted an invitation to Petersburg, ere the angry pique, aroused by Lynn's reproaches, passed off.
Alone | Marion HarlandMany of us, male and female, treated as Susan imagined herself treated, have taken another lover out of pique.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend | Charles ReadeKilmeny had been brought too near the grim realities to hold any petty pique.
The Highgrader | William MacLeod Raine
British Dictionary definitions for pique (1 of 3)
/ (piːk) /
a feeling of resentment or irritation, as from having one's pride wounded
to cause to feel resentment or irritation
to excite or arouse
(foll by on or upon) to pride or congratulate (oneself)
Origin of pique
1British Dictionary definitions for pique (2 of 3)
/ (piːk) piquet /
a score of 30 points made by a player from a combination of cards held before play begins and from play while his opponent's score is nil
to score a pique (against)
Origin of pique
2British Dictionary definitions for piqué (3 of 3)
/ (ˈpiːkeɪ) /
a close-textured fabric of cotton, silk, or spun rayon woven with lengthwise ribs
Origin of piqué
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse