piqued
Americanadjective
-
(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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of piqued
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But one part of summer that most piqued our wide-eyed interest—that for all these years has felt like a dizzy dream—wasn’t on the campgrounds at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The characters in particular are more grounded, which immediately piqued Root’s interest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
That article, combined with anecdotes that some tech layoffs are hitting older workers, piqued my interest.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
"I was seeing loads about it and it piqued my interest."
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The idea that this might be something similar piqued my interest.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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.
