piqued

[ peekt ]

adjective

(of interest, curiosity, etc.) excited or aroused:By the end of the talk the audience had tons of questions, and left with a piqued interest in the world of lion research.
irritated and resentful, especially because of an injury to one’s pride:The Act triggered President Truman's piqued reaction: he found the bill "un-American" and vetoed it, but to no avail.

(of pride, vanity, etc.) wounded: Unimaginable horrors often result from nothing more than a move to second place, a public embarrassment, or a piqued ego.

verb

Origin of piqued

When they were particularly piqued, Roman soldiers destroyed opponents so thoroughly that entire towns disappeared for decades.
War! What Is It Good For? A Lot | Nick Romeo | August 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
So your interest is piqued, but then how did you convince Marvel to hand you the keys?
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Filmmaker James Gunn on His Glorious Space Opera and Rise to the A-List | Marlow Stern | August 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The challenge facing Handler, then, is to keep the attention of this “on-demand generation” after the initial piqued curiosity.
Chelsea Handler May Actually ‘Revolutionize’ Talk Shows | Kevin Fallon | June 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Her curiosity was piqued, and she began a nearly decade-long critical review of the research on dietary fat.
Everything You Know About Fat Is Wrong | Daniela Drake | May 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But as the day wore on, El Comandante was visibly piqued and coughing, in crippling pain.
The Day Castro Wept | A. L. Bardach | September 17, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST

And Lady Hartledon, rather piqued, gave the necessary orders on the following day for the removal.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
This piqued George who replied that one might be a man, and even a very brave man, and yet not know all the roads on earth.
Honey-Bee | Anatole France
Sir Lucien was first surprised, then piqued, and finally interested by such unusual tactics.
Dope | Sax Rohmer
The tone constituted a rebuff, and Rita's coquetry deserted her, leaving her mortified and piqued.
Dope | Sax Rohmer
After a few days, when she could understand him no better than at first, she gave over being puzzled and remained piqued.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin

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