peevish

adjective

pee·​vish ˈpē-vish 

1

: querulous in temperament or mood : fretful

2

: perversely (see perverse sense 2b) obstinate

a peevish child

3

: marked by ill temper

has a peevish, even spiteful, streak

—Elizabeth Drew

peevishly adverb

peevishness noun

Synonyms

• choleric
• crabby
• cranky
• cross
• crotchety
• fiery
• grouchy
• grumpy
• irascible
• irritable
• perverse
• pettish
• petulant
• prickly
• quick-tempered
• raspy
• ratty
• short-tempered
• snappish
• snappy
• snarky
• snippety
• snippy
• stuffy
• testy
• waspish

Examples of peevish in a Sentence

peevish patients in the doctor's waiting room

I would rather figure things out on my own than ask that peevish librarian for help.

Recent Examples on the Web

The songs are muscular and syncretic as ever, but the normally peevish rapper doesn’t maintain his trolling energy for the full record, settling into a questioning and pensive pace. —Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024

For all that, his Arthur remains a lowly outsider, with a downcast gaze, a peevish temper, and a deep well of melancholy that never feels one-note. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024

The preternaturally peevish Pentecostal preacher is back and absent as ever. —Kristen Baldwin and Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2023

What if this progeny pre-programmed for money-making zeal is also more likely to end up wandering around a mansion, micro-dosing LSD and sending peevish tweets? —Frederick Kaufman, Fortune, 30 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pevish spiteful

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

peevish

adjective

pee·​vish ˈpē-vish 

1

: irritable

2

: stubborn sense 1a

peevishly adverb

peevishness noun