pesky

adjective

pes·​ky ˈpe-skē 

peskier; peskiest

: troublesome, vexatious

pesky issues

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• exasperating
• frustrating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of pesky in a Sentence

I've been trying to get rid of this pesky cold for weeks.

the pesky problem of what to do with all the leftovers

Recent Examples on the Web

Here are some of Michigan's peskiest garden pests as well as how to get rid of them, said David Lowenstein, Integrated Pest Management expert and consumer horticulture educator at Michigan State University. —Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 21 June 2024

Here’s how to protect yourself from those pesky little critters that want to take a bite out of you. —Daniel Wine, CNN, 13 June 2024

Earth Day Park Clean Up, 1 p.m. at Versailles State Park: Help the park remove one of our very pesky invasive plants, garlic mustard. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2024

The pesky invasive species, which may have hitched a ride from Asia to the US via shipping containers back in the 1990s, reportedly, contributed to a whooping €500 million worth of crop damage in Europe in 2019 alone. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably irregular from pest + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pesky

adjective

pes·​ky ˈpes-kē 

peskier; peskiest

: troublesome sense 2

peskily

-kə-lē

adverb

peskiness

-kē-nəs

noun